Carrot, squash & lentil soup

This is a gorgeous warming soup with lots of fresh ginger and roasted garlic to support your immune system, detoxification, and blood sugar regulation.

Red lentils are full of fibre to keep your gut microbes happy, plus they’re a great source of vitamins B9 or folate (tissue and cell growth and function), copper (red blood cells, nervous system support), manganese (immune system regulation and bone formation), and iron (red blood cells, oxygen transport, energy) amongst others. You’re getting some more fibre from the squash and carrots (happy gut bugs!) plus antioxidants (cell damage/cancer-prevention), vitamin C, beta-carotene (converts to Vit A for eye health), and B6 (supports mood), so there’s all the good stuff in this recipe! Perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients

Serves 6

·      4 large garlic cloves (unpeeled)

·      1 large onion, chopped in thick half-moons

·      1 medium butternut squash (approx. 600-700g), 2cm dice

·      3 large carrots (300g), 2cm dice

·      1 thumb ginger, peeled and grated (I use a microplane)

·      1.5L chicken or veggie stock, warmed

·      100g red lentils, rinsed well

·      1 tsp sea salt

·      Lots of black pepper

Method

·      Heat the oven to 180 c, add the veggies to a large roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and mix with a pinch of salt.

·      Put in the oven for 20 minutes, then turn and put back in for approx. another 20 minutes until completely softened.

·      Take the veggies out and remove the garlic, chop the root ends off and squeeze out the cooked cloves into a large stock pot, then scrape in the onions, squash and carrots.

·      Deglaze the roasting tray with a ladle or two of stock and add to the pan along with the ginger and the rest of the stock.

·      Bring to the boil and then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

·      Add the lentils and simmer with the lid on for another 25 minutes.

·      Finish by adding the salt and lots of pepper for extra heat.

Roasted squash & cauliflower soup with rose harissa yoghurt

This soup is packed with a huge amount of flavour, especially considering it’s made with only 5 ingredients! The vegetables are all roasted so the caramelisation really adds depth to this simple soup. It’s really easy to make and is very ‘hands off’ as everything goes in the oven basically and then you just blitz them altogether at the end.

Ralph said this was his favourite ever soup - let me know what you think!! I love the yoghurt dressing, but it is totally optional as there is already so much flavour in the soup itself.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 small squash

• 1 small cauliflower

• 3 large cloves garlic

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 800-1L boiling water

• 1 lime wedge

Yoghurt topping

• 120ml Greek yoghurt (or vegan option: coconut)

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 1 tbsp tahini

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and put all the chopped veggies in one big tray; coat with 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle over the cumin and a good pinch of salt. Mix well.

• Separate the cauliflower and onion on to one tray and put the squash on another. 

• Put the squash in the oven for 20 minutes then check and turn. 

• When the squash goes back in, put in the cauliflower and onions as well for 15 minutes. 

• Check and turn the cauliflower and onions, then put back in for 8 minutes. All the vegetables should be done together, but if not, just roast whichever one hasn’t browned for another 5-10 minutes.

• While the vegetables are cooking, make the yoghurt by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl.

• Boil at least 1 litre of water in the kettle.

• Scrape the vegetables into a large saucepan and then deglaze each tray with 150ml of boiling water. Pour the flavour rich water into the pan, scraping all the residue off using a silicone spatula.

• Squeeze out the roasted garlic from their skins into the pan and add a further 600ml of boiling water.

• Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, simmer for 5 minutes and then blitz with a hand blender until smooth. You might need to add an extra 100-200ml of water depending on thickness. 

• Add the sea salt, but adjust according to how much extra water you’ve added and finish with a squeeze of lime (about 1 tsp).

• Serve with a blob of the harissa yoghurt on top.

Tip

• When roasting vegetables:

  I tend not to mix types as they can cook at different rates, so I might need to take one out earlier.

  Always let the excess steam out by opening the oven a tiny bit about every 15 minutes - this helps them brown/crisp up.

Sweet potato & leek risotto with rocket pesto

The great thing about risotto is that it’s good at any time of the year. It can be a hearty warming bowl with fresh bread in the colder months, or a light tasty dish with a crisp green salad in the spring or summer. I’m going for a spring feel here with a parsley and rocket pesto, adding a fresh herby flavour to the risotto. The rocket and lemon give a subtle peppery sharp edge that is balanced with the toasted pine nuts and sweet creamy rice. Tempted? Give it a try!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 sweet potato, peeled 2cm cubes

• 1 vegetable stock cube (Kallo low salt)

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 leeks, halved and sliced thinly

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 300g risotto

• 100ml sherry or 150ml white wine

• 15g finely grated parmesan

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 - 1 ½ tsp salt

• 20g pine nuts, toasted

• A handful of rocket leaves, optional

Pesto

• 15g parsley

• 15g rocket

• 10g parmesan

• 40g pinenuts

• Juice of ¼ lemon

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1/8 tsp sea salt

method

• Preheat oven to 200ºc, put the sweet potato on a large baking tray, drizzle with ½ tbsp olive oil, mix well and spread out. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 15 minutes and then turn and put back in for a further 10-15 minutes until browned on at least two sides.

• Mash half the sweet potato on the tray while warm and set aside.

• Make the pesto while the sweet potato is roasting: put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine into a rough texture, don’t purée!

• Warm the stock, or dissolve 1 stock cube in 1.2 litres of boiling water (see note about stock below).

• Melt a large knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leeks, frying on a gentle heat for 10-12 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and stir well, allowing it to cook for a minute.

• Then tip in the rice and stir well to coat all the grains, after about a minute it should look slightly translucent at the edges.

• Turn up the heat and pour in the wine or Sherry. Allow the harsh alcohol taste to bubble off, once the rice has absorbed the rest of the wine (about 2 minutes) start adding the warm stock. I usually pour in a ladle full, or about 100ml at a time.

• Next add the mashed sweet potato and keep adding the stock slowly, each time it is absorbed, pour in another ladle, stirring regularly.

• After 10-12 minutes add the sweet potato chunks and continue pouring in the stock for another 8-10 minutes.

• Check the rice is cooked (it should still have a little bite to it) and then stir in the grated parmesan, lemon juice, a knob of butter and the salt.

• Serve with a spoon of pesto, a few pine nuts and a sprinkle of rocket.

Tip

• A note about stock: if I’m using a cube then I double the amount of water recommended on the pack, as I find it dominates the flavour otherwise.

• I don’t always want to open a bottle of wine just for cooking, so I keep a bottle of Sherry or Vermouth in the cupboard to use for risotto. It doesn’t go off like wine, so you can just use a glass as and when you need it.

• To make the risotto vegan, you could use non-dairy butter and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to replace the parmesan in both the risotto and pesto.

• I use a Microplane or fine grater for the cheese and garlic.

Butternut squash & spinach risotto with crispy sage

Risotto is the perfect comfort food and it’s so versatile in terms of flavours you can never get bored of it. I love the combination of squash, sage and feta here, it’s creamy, sweet and salty, which works so well. Although my kids aren’t massive squash fans they really like this risotto, ok so they pick out the pieces of squash, but as I’ve mashed some in they can’t avoid eating it altogether! I topped my son’s with crispy bacon to keep him happy and if you serve with garlic ciabatta as well I don’t think you’re going to get too many complaints!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• ½ large butternut squash (approx 800g unpeeled)

• 10-12 sage leaves

• 30g unsalted butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 stick celery, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 150ml white wine or 100ml sherry or vermouth

• 350g risotto rice

• 1-1.2L vegetable stock

• 30g parmesan, finely grated

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 3 handfuls spinach leaves

• Approx 100g feta, crumbled

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Chop the squash into 2cm chunks and put on a large baking tray, drizzle with ½ tbsp olive oil, mix well and spread out. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes and then turn and put back in for a further 20 until browned on at least two sides.

• Leave the squash on the oven tray, mash half with a fork.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan, next add the sage leaves and cook for about a minute on each side. They should turn a little darker, but not brown. Place on a piece of kitchen roll to absorb the oil. They’ll crisp up as they cool.

• Warm the stock on the hob or microwave.

• Heat 20g of butter and ½ tbsp olive oil in a wide low-sided pan, add the onions and celery, cooking gently for 15 minutes until soft, but not browned.

• Next add the rice, stirring well, after about a minute it should look slightly translucent at the edges.

• Then turn up the heat and pour in the wine or Sherry. Allow the harsh alcohol taste to bubble off and once the rice has absorbed the rest of the wine (about 2 minutes) start adding the warm stock. I usually pour in a ladle or about 100ml at a time.

• Next add the mashed squash and keep adding the stock slowly, each time it is absorbed, pour in another ladle, stirring regularly.

• After 10-12 minutes add the squash chunks and continue pouring in the stock for another 8 minutes.

• Check the rice is cooked (it should still have a little bite to it) and then stir in the spinach, 10g of butter, 30g parmesan and the salt. Mix well and allow the spinach to wilt for a minute.

• Crumble a sage leaf and feta or grated parmesan on top.

• Serve with another couple of whole sage leaves, garlic ciabatta and a green salad.

Tip

• A note about stock - if I’m using a cube then I will double the amount of water recommended on the pack, so for this recipe I just used one cube for one litre of water. Otherwise you’ll end up tasting the stock cube rather than it being a savoury back note.

• I don’t always want to open a bottle of wine just for cooking, so I keep a bottle of Sherry or Vermouth in the cupboard to use for risotto. It doesn’t go off like wine, so you can just use a glass as and when you need it.

• To make the risotto vegan, you could use non-dairy butter and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and or a little oat cream instead of cheese. Top with toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds.

• I use a Microplane or fine grater for the cheese and garlic.

• Cook the squash the day before to get ahead.

Butternut squash & spelt salad with rose harissa dressing

I made this lovely salad at the weekend so I had some tasty lunches ready for me to grab in between home schooling. It’s been really nice to have something interesting ready eat without having to do any prep - especially as food is the highlight of my day more than ever right now! If you’re going to do the same then just keep the salad and dressing separate and that way it will last 4-5 days without going soggy.

To give you an idea of how much this recipe makes, I managed to trough my way through it in 5 ‘main meal’ sized bowls with a little added cheese and salad.

I know a couple of the ingredients (spelt and rose harissa) aren’t necessarily what you might have in your store cupboard, but they’re easily available online. Or alternatively you could switch the spelt for bulgur / cous cous / brown rice and use ordinary harissa paste or even leave out and just have a tahini dressing (you might need to add a little extra water) - it will still be super tasty!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 230g pearled spelt

• 1 large red onion (yellow is fine too)

• 1 sweet pepper (any colour except. green)

• ½ butternut squash, chopped in 1 ½ cm cubes

• Handful of chopped parsley

• Handful chopped coriander

• Sprinkle of sea salt

• Handful of toasted sunflower seeds, optional

Dressing

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 3 tbsp lemon juice

• 50 ml water

• 2 tsp rose harissa

• ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc

• Spread the squash out on a large tray and drizzle with about ½ tbsp of olive oil. Do the same with the onions and peppers, mixing well. I used separate trays as the squash will take a little longer to cook. Sprinkle with salt and place both trays in the oven for 20 minutes.

• Check and turn the vegetables with a spatula and place back in the oven. Roast the onions and peppers for a further 10 minutes and the squash for about 20 or until soft right the way through and browned on the outside.

• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the spelt - add to a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until softened. Drain well and allow to cool.

• Now make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisking well. The tahini will make the mixture stiffen as as you first start to mix, but keep going it will gradually loosen up.

• Mix the spelt, vegetables and herbs with a good sprinkle of sea salt and serve with a generous drizzle of dressing. Top with sunflower seeds if you’re using them.

Tip

• This salad can be eaten warm or cold. With any salad the flavour will always be better if you serve at room temperature. If it has been stored in the fridge, just serve a portion in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute to take the chill off without over-cooking any of the ingredients.

• Add crumbled feta, halloumi, creamy blue cheese and a green salad as a main meal or you could eat it as a side with veggie sausages, griddled meat or fish.

Butternut squash, lentil & Stilton salad

This is a really nice dish to make when the weather’s cold, but you still fancy a salad. It can be eaten warm or cold (room temp is best), as part of a spread or just on its own. 

Remember this one after Christmas when you can’t stand anymore turkey and you’re wondering how to use up all that Stilton in your fridge. It’s easy to make and won’t take you too long to prep.  It’s also very nutritious, so that’s a win, win, win.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 20 ml lemon juice (approx 1 lemon)

• 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

• 1 butternut squash (approx 1kg), chopped into 3cm wedges

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 150g dried green lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• Handful of parsley, chopped

• 60g stilton, crumbled

Dressing

• 60ml olive oil

• 20ml lemon juice

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc.

• Place the sliced onions into the lemon juice so they can pickle while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

• Chop the squash, spread out on two large trays, and drizzle over the olive oil. Mix to coat well, sprinkle with sea salt and put in the oven for 25 minutes. Turn and put back in for a further 25 minutes.

• While the squash is roasting, simmer the green lentils for approx 30 minutes (check the packet for instructions) with 1 vegetable stock cube and a generous pinch of salt. Drain well and put back in the pan.

• Mix all the dressing ingredients and pour 2/3 on to the warm lentils and sprinkle in another 1/4 tsp sea salt.

• Layer the salad on a large platter: squash, lentils, stilton, parsley, repeat finishing with the cheese and herbs then top with pickled onions.

Tip

• Use the small green lentils which look like Puy as they stay firmer. Larger green lentils like these are better for making dal. I buy mine in 2kg bags from Real Food Source. They’re really good value and great quality. Or Tesco do a smaller bag if you don’t want to commit to a big one!

Butternut squash & leek fritters with lemon yoghurt

This recipe came about after having a tub of roasted butternut squash that had been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. I was originally going to make leek fritters using a recipe by Smitten Kitchen, but having seen the squash I decided to adapt it a bit and it worked really well. The firm texture of the squash made the fritters bind together well whilst adding a sweet nutty taste; I also added some harissa for heat and flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, approx 800g unpeeled - you need 500g once roasted

• 2 large leeks, approx 600g whole, not chopped

• 1.5 tsp ground harissa spice blend

• 4 tbsp flour

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 large egg

Lemon yoghurt

• 200ml Greek yoghurt

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and follow the instructions for cooking the butternut squash here (using harissa instead of cumin). Set aside to cool and then chop into 1cm cubes.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 80ºc so you can keep your batches of fritters warm later.

• While the squash is roasting, quarter the leeks length ways leaving about an inch or so that is still attached at the whiter root end. Rinse the sliced darker green end to remove any dirt.

• Next cut the leek in 1/2cm slices and steam for 6-8 minutes they should still have a little bite.

• Put the leeks into a muslin cloth or clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as you can. You may need to let them cool a little before you do this, or wear rubber gloves!

• Put all the ingredients, except the egg, into a large bowl and stir well. Add the salt and double check the seasoning by tasting a pinch of the mix and if it’s ok then add the egg and mix well to combine.

• I use a large ice cream scoop to measure and shape each fritter, but you could do it with a big spoon and scales - aim for about 80g each.

• Put a sheet of parchment on a baking tray and line up the raw fritters as you make them. Now you can either freeze or put some in the fridge in an air tight container if you don’t want to cook them all. See note on freezing below.

• Once they are all ready. Heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil in large frying pan. You’ll need to cook the fritters in batches so the pan doesn’t get over crowded; I do 4/5 each time (or they’re hard to turn) and I usually need to add about 1/2 tbsp of oil for each new batch so they don’t stick.

• Cook for approx 5 minutes each side on a medium heat until golden brown.

• Place each batch on a large tray and put them in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest.

• Mix the ingredients for the lemon yoghurt while the fritters are cooking.

TIP

• Serve with a green salad, homemade slaw, griddled halloumi or a poached egg.

• To freeze: find a tray or plate that will fit in your freezer and line it with baking parchment. Space out the fritters and put in the freezer for about an hour, allowing them to harden and then transfer to a bag. This way they won’t stick together in a big lump and you can defrost however many you need.

Pumpkin soup with chilli & ginger

It wouldn’t be Halloween without the obligatory pumpkin soup post would it?! Like Lockdown without banana bread...
My recipe this year took a slightly unexpected, but interesting, turn with the addition of coconut milk, chilli, lime and my latest discovery: dark roast peanut butter (linked in the ingredients). If you’ve never tried it you need to, it’s umami heaven! So good on toast too.
I’d originally planned to make more of a classic pumpkin soup with white wine and cream, but I went in a different direction and ended up using more Thai style flavours, which makes sense of the peanuts, right? They bring a deep savoury back note rather than being an obvious addition, I don’t think many people would be able to guess they were there, but they add a lovely subtle umami richness.
There’s also fresh ginger, a little chilli heat and a zing of lime - a bright note to counteract the sweetness of the roasted vegetables - essential in most dishes imo.

This recipe is for a big pan of soup so halve it if you prefer, but I always like to make extra for the freezer.

Ingredients

Makes 2.8l or 8 servings

• 1 medium sized pumpkin

• 1 squash, chopped weight approx 800g ex seeds

• 2 large onions, diced

• 30g fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1 stock cube

• 1l water

• 400ml coco milk

• 1 tbsp dark roast peanut butter

• 2.5 tsp sea salt

• Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Peel and chop the squash into wedges; place on a large tray with 1.5 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and mix well to coat. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turn and repeat; the squash should be browned on at least a couple of sides. Remove from the oven and set aside.

• Chop the pumpkin in half, you might want to cut off the stalk at the top first though. Then put on a large roasting tray, covering the cut sides loosely with foil and place in the oven for approx 1 hour. Test by sticking a knife in at this stage and see if it is soft all the way through, if not put back in the oven for 30 minutes and repeat if necessary. Set aside to cool a little while you chop the onions.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, cooking for about 15-20 mins on low.

• Once the pumpkin has cooled enough to touch it, cut out and throw away the seeds, then scrape the flesh out of the skin and put in a bowl. Keep the water that has been released from the pumpkin while cooking as this will go into the soup to add extra flavour.

• Once the onions are softened add the ginger, mix well and warm for 1 minute. Then add the squash, pumpkin and pumpkin water, chilli, crumbled stock cube, 1l of water, peanut butter and coconut milk; simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

• Blitz with a stick blender; you may need to add 100-200ml of water to get the right consistency, just do it gradually and then add the sea salt one tsp at a time. The quantity of extra water needed and salt will vary slightly depending on the size and how watery your pumpkin was.

• Serve with sourdough and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.

Tip

• Cook the squash or pumpkin on the previous day to save time when making the soup as they take awhile too cook and use a lot of oven space.

• If it’s not pumpkin season then just use another butternut squash instead.

Cumin & chilli butternut squash wedges

Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetables to eat, but only roasted! I love the way it sweetens and caramelises when cooked in this way, as opposed to the blandness of when it is just added it to a sauce and cooked in it. When roasted the cooking process itself adds flavour and improves the texture, plus you can really make it interesting by spiking with different spices.

Cumin and chilli is definitely a go-to combination for me, but I also like to use harissa blends or ras el hanout. Honestly, I could just eat a plate of roasted squash for dinner, but if you don’t quite feel the same way as me then it’s great with my vegan protein or lentil and bean chillis and guacamole.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 2 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

• 1.5 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chilli

• A good pinch of sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Chop the squash in half length ways, or thirds if it is particularly large, and peel.

• Next chop each section in half down the middle and then into approx 3cm wedges (at the widest point). The length should be about 8cm as a rough guide.

• Put the squash in a large tray or two making sure the wedges have enough space around them. If not they will steam, not brown.

• Drizzle the squash with the oil then sprinkle over the spices evenly and mix to coat, sprinkle with salt and put in the oven for 15 minutes.

• Open the door just an inch to let out the excess steam from the oven and close again for another 5 minutes. *A note on why I do this below*.

• Now turn the squash so it browns on the other side, put back on the oven for a further 15 minutes. Turn one more and put back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.

Tip

• By opening the oven door an inch, you release the excess steam so the squash will brown and have a lovely sweet caramelised flavour. I use this trick when roasting any vegetable as my oven isn’t great at venting excess steam, but you might not need to do this if yours if more efficient. Just check next time you’re roasting a tray of veggies - if you get a face full of steam then that could be why you’re not getting that tasty caramelisation.

• Try to chop your wedges to a similar size as stated above so they cook according to the recipe. If they’re smaller there is a risk they’ll over cook, but if you keep an eye on them and reduce the times accordingly then they’ll be fine!

Squash and cumin soup with croutons, pumpkin & cumin seeds

This is one of my all time favourite soups as I love roasted squash; it’s lightly spiced and finished with fresh herbs and crunchy seeds.

Ingredients

Makes about 2.5L

• 1 butternut squash, chopped into large chunks

• 1 medium sweet potato, whole unpeeled

• 2 onions, chopped roughly

• 3 tsp ground cumin

• 1.5 tsp salt

• 1.6L vegetable, or chicken stock

• Pumpkin seeds & cumin seeds, toasted gently in a frying pan - a small sprinkle on each bowl

• Handful of fresh coriander leaves

Method

• Firstly buy yourself a decent peeler as it will make the job of peeling the squash so much easier!

• Heat the oven to 190ºC

• Place the squash on a roasting tray (you may need to use two to avoid overcrowding the squash which will make it steam, not roast) and drizzle with olive oil, season.

• Sprinkle over a teaspoon of cumin and rub into the squash. Put the sweet potato on the tray as well.

• Place the tray/s into the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the squash is soft and has browned a bit at the edges.

• In a large pan heat a couple of glugs of olive oil and fry the onions gently for about 10 minutes.

• Add the rest of the cumin and grated garlic and fry for a couple of minutes to cook through.

• When the squash is ready, add to the pan with the onions and pour over the stock. Heat it through.

• Peel the sweet potato using your fingers and add to the pan.

• Either blend using a hand-held, or transfer to a food processor for a smoother texture.

• Toast a few pumpkin seeds and cumin seeds in a pan for 2-3 minutes and sprinkle over the soup with some coriander.

Croutons

• Keep the ends of sourdough loaves as they make brilliant croutons. Just chop into bite sized pieces, place on a tray and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat fairly evenly, but don't drown them!

• Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180ºC, turning half way through.

Roasted butternut squash, red onion with tahini & za'atar dressing

I could literally eat this salad everyday, it is so tasty in only a way that Ottolengi's recipes can be. It is a gorgeous combination of caramelised squash and onions with nutty, creamy, lemony tahini dressing.

Ingredients, serves 6-8

• 1 butternut squash

• 3 medium red onions

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 3-4 tbsp water

• 1 small clove garlic, grated

• 30g pine nuts

• 1 tbsp za'atar, or to taste - try it first to see if you like it

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

• Heat the oven to 220 degrees.

• Chop the squash into large slices, coat with olive oil on a roasting tray and place skin side down.

• Roast the squash for 20 minutes before adding the chopped onions; make sure they have a coating of oil on them as well.

• Mix the tahini with the lemon, garlic and water in a small bowl or jar, whisk with a fork. Add extra tahini or water to get the right consistency; it should be like a thick salad dressing.

• Heat a frying pan and lightly toast the pine nuts.

• To serve, spread the vegetables on a flat platter and drizzle over the dressing before scattering the pine nuts over the top. Sprinkle za'atar and parsley to taste.

• Dig in.

Shown with aubergine chermoula and puy lentil, oven dried tomato & gorgonzola salad