Is winter squash good for baking?

Cucurbita maxima includes the dry, flaky, meaty squashes like kabocha, kuri, and turban, which often do better steamed or stewed than baked in a plain way without moist add-ins or fillings . But other C. maxima types such as baby blue hubbard, buttercup, and sweet meat are a little juicier and bake up nicely.

What is special about puy lentils?

These lentils have been grown in the region for over 2,000 years and it is said that they have gastronomic qualities that come from the terroir (in this case attributed to the area's volcanic soil). They are praised for their unique peppery flavor and the ability to retain their shape after cooking .

What does winter squash do to your body?

This squash has a lot of antioxidants, which can boost your immunity and help your body to fight off certain diseases . Acorn squash contains antioxidants like vitamin C that help strengthen bones and blood vessels. It also has vitamin A, which helps improve the health of your lungs, heart and other vital organs.

What temperature do you bake squash at?

Butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes, should be perfectly roasted after about 25 to 35 minutes in an oven heated to 400 degrees F .

What are Puy lentils called in the USA?

We're all about French lentils, because like the greatest boxers, lawyers, and internet trolls, they're thick-skinned. This means that these speckled, greenish-bluish-greyish orbs, also called green French lentils or lentilles du Puy, retain their shape when cooked and have a pleasant, poppy texture.

What happens if you don't soak lentils?

Why Should You Soak Lentils? Certain pulses have a natural drive of causing gas and bloating in the body . Soaking mimics the natural germination process and changes the seed that is dormant and indigestible into the dal laden with nutrients and complete digestibility.

Do you need to soak Puy lentils before cooking?

HOW TO COOK DRIED PUY LENTILS: There is no need to pre-soak Puy lentils . Simply follow these instructions to cook to perfection in under 30 minutes: Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse them for 20 seconds under cold running water.

What squash is best for baking?

Tan and smooth, the versatile butternut squash has sweet, nutty flesh that works well in baked, boiled, and steamed preparations, but it's particularly well suited to deep roasting. A butternut squash can keep for up to six months.

What is winter squash used for?

Winter squash is also tasty with bacon, sausage, pork, chicken, and mild fish like cod. Because squash is high in fiber, it's more filling than other vegetables—it can be used to bulk up stews, grain- and greens-based salads, quesadillas, pizzas, pastas, casseroles, and gratins .

Is winter squash the same as zucchini?

So, here's the thing: All zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini . Are you even more confused now? The term "squash" refers to a plant species within the gourd family, which is further divided into winter squash and summer squash.

What is the difference between butternut squash and winter squash?

The skin of a butternut squash is very thin unlike most other winter squash varieties . I usually remove it with a vegetable peeler before cooking. Butternut is commonly known for its sweeter flesh, but compared to the kabocha, it's definitely not as sweet and more like a traditional pumpkin flesh.

Winter Layered Smoky Lentil and Squash Bake

Recipes
- All Recipes
- By Ingredients
- By Season
- For Events
- For Families
- Gluten Free
All Recipes
Recipes by Ingredients
Recipes by Season
Recipes for Families
Recipes For Events
Gluten Free Recipes

All Recipes
Recipes by Ingredients
Recipes by Season
Recipes for Families
Recipes For Events
Gluten Free Recipes
Books
Blog
About

Recipes
- All Recipes
- By Ingredients
- By Season
- For Events
- For Families
- Gluten Free
All Recipes
Recipes by Ingredients
Recipes by Season
Recipes for Families
Recipes For Events
Gluten Free Recipes

All Recipes
Recipes by Ingredients
Recipes by Season
Recipes for Families
Recipes For Events
Gluten Free Recipes
Books
Blog
About

Instagram Pinterest Facebook

Layers of lovely smoky Puy lentils with harissa and mushrooms, roast squash topped with a gooey ‘cheesy’ sauce–such a deliciously warming dish.

Jump to Recipe

Perfect for cosy Sunday lunches or a festive feast.

A little like a lasagne with its layers and tasty cheese topping, and I think the roast squash in the middle adds a sweet contrast to the earthy lentils–so good!

This would make a fantastic addition to your festive table–I like it with:
Maple roast carrots & parsnips
New potato hasselbacks

Plus lots more festive recipes coming your way–watch this space!

Much love, Niki xxx

Layers of lovely smoky Puy lentils with harissa and mushrooms, roast squash topped with a gooey ‘cheesy’ sauce–such a deliciously warming dish.

Prep time: 30 minutes mins

Cook time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

4 servings

4.67 from 3 votes

Ingredients

1 large white onion chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
175 g mushrooms finely chopped
2 to matoes chopped
1 tbsp rose Harissa 0r 1 tsp harissa paste
2 sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1 tsp tamari
1 tbsp Worcester sauce–I used Biona vegan version
150 g dark green French or puy lentils rinsed
750 ml water
1/2 tsp sea salt
Twist black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme

For the cheesy bechamel sauce

1 tbsp vegan butter
2 tbsp plain flour
250 almond milk
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Big pinch sea salt
Twist black pepper

Instructions

To roast the veg

Pre heat your oven to 180c
Place squash on a baking tray and coat in olive oil, salt and pepper.
Bake for 45- 60 minutes or until cooked. Keep your eye on them, as they will cook at varying times.
Set aside

To make the lentils

Add your oil and onion to a wide bottom pan and fry gently on a low heat for around 10 minutes until soft and browning. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds more, then add the paprika.
Next, add the sundried tomatoes, tomatoes, Worcester sauce, mushrooms, tamari & harrisa–stir to combine and allow everything to soften.
Now add the lentils and water. Bring to the boil then cook on a low heat for 40 minutes.
Season with black pepper & salt to the pan and simmer for a further minute.
Turn off the heat and stir the fresh thyme & olive oil.

To make the cheesy bechamel sauce

Add the butter to a frying pan and melt on a low heat, then add the flour. Stir to combine well.
Next, add the almond milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure no lumps form. Now season well and remove from the heat.

To make the bake

Layer the lentils, then the squash, more lentils, then top with the cheese sauce.
Bake for 25 minutes on 180c.
Remove from the oven and, if desired, pop under the grill to brown the top a little.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

If you recreate this recipe, tag me on Instagram:@rebelrecipes or #rebelrecipes for a chance to be featured.

More Recipes with Lentils, Squash, Harissa or Mushrooms

Discuss this Recipe with Niki

16 Responses

could I possibly use a gem squash instead??
Reply
1. Yes definitely – should work well xxx
  Reply
Made this lovely recipe today and it was surprisingly easy. I used tinned green lentils because I had those in the cupboard. I didnt add the 750ml water as a result and it cut the cook time down by 30 minutes, so it made this recipe much quicker. Thanks for another great meal.
Reply
Hello, Worcestershire Sauce isn’t vegan as it contains anchovies. Might be worth updating the recipe so non-vegans don’t cook it for their vegan friends and feed them all fish…
Have you managed to find a vegan one? I’d love to get hold of one but haven’t been able to find a good one yet. We are in the UK.
Reply
1. Hi Noelle
  I used Biona vegan Worcester sauce. I’ll update to highlight they need to find a vegan version.
  My best
  Niki xxx
  Reply
2. If you can find it, Hendersons Relish is vegan…it’s mostly sold in the midlands but idk if it’s becoming more widely available. Hth!
  Reply
Can you tell me what kind of squash that you used?
Reply
1. Hi Christy
  This one is butter nut.
  Love, Niki xxx
  Reply
This is delicious, I made it tonight to make sure I used everything in my fridge during lockdown and happened to have everything,
I do agree with the previous comment however that it would do us three portions not 8 to 10, I think I’d double next time to ensure I have leftovers as it’s so tasty .
Many thanks.
Reply
1. Hi Sally
  Happy to hear!
  I’ll amend the portions – I must have been a bit stingy!
  Love
  Niki xx
  Reply
Just made this for dinner tonight – really tasty thank you. I must admit that I’m not vegan and made a real cheese sauce, but apart from that followed the rest of the recipe.
The only thing I would say is that it was only just enough for 3 of us with a salad – I know we have hearty appetites, but I can’t see how this would be enough for 8-10 servings.
Love your website – thanks.
Reply
1. Hi Mandy
  So happy you enjoyed.
  Good flag about the servings – ill review.
  Love
  Niki xxx
  Reply
Second time I’ve cooked this and it’s a winner. The first one I made I didn’t add enough water to the lentil mix and it ended up being a bit dry. Follow the instructions! 750ml of water!
Last night I added a layer of sliced (boiled) potatoes to give it a bit of a Mousaka feel and it was great. Thanks Nikki!
Reply
1. Amazing! So glad you enjoyed. Love your addition.
  Much love
  Niki xxx
  Reply
Hi! I am planning on making this for Christmas. What size pan do you use?
Reply
1. Hi Kathy
  I used a 25cm
  Much love
  Niki xxx
  Reply

Buy Me a Coffee

If you’ve enjoyed using my recipes, I’d love you to support my blog.

I’ll be cooking up a plateful of super-delicious vegan recipes here over the coming months.

To support my work, promote the vegan message far and wide, and of course help keep Dill in kittie food, you can buy me a coffee here.

Thank you, and much love, Niki xxx

(Payments via Ko-Fi are processed by Stripe, a global payments platform certified to the the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry.)

Cookie Consent

Our website uses cookies to provide the necessary website functionality, improve your experience and analyse our traffic. By Clicking "Accept", you agree to our Privacy Policy and cookies usage. Not consenting or withdrawing consent may adversely affect certain features and functions.

FunctionalFunctionalAlways active

The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.

PreferencesPreferences

The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.

StatisticsStatistics

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.

MarketingMarketing

The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

Manage optionsManage servicesManage vendorsRead more about these purposes

View preferences

{title}{title}{title}

Winter Layered Smoky Lentil and Squash Bake | Rebel Recipes (2024)