Lunch
Roast squash and lentil lunch salad
Golden squash, lentils and roast potatoes with crunchy pumpkin seeds and a lemon dressing.
Free guide: thirty gluten-free dinners, with the shopping lists
Sweet roast squash and red onion sit alongside lentils, crisp-edged potatoes and peppery rocket. Pumpkin seeds add crunch, with a simple lemon dressing to bring everything together.
This makes two substantial lunches, with the potatoes already included. For lunch the next day, keep the rocket and seeds separate until you are ready to eat.
The recipe
Roast squash and lentil lunch salad
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total*
- 70 min
- Makes
- 2 servings
*Estimated development timings. No standing time is required. The 70-minute total is an estimate comprising 20 minutes of preparation and a 50-minute cooking and finishing allowance; ovens vary, and vegetables that need longer to become tender will extend it. For a chilled lunch, allow cooling time and refrigerate within 1–2 hours of cooking; cooling and chilling are additional to the stated total.
Ingredients
Tick things off as you go.
For the salad
For roasting and dressing
Equipment
- Use two shallow roasting trays, approximately 30 × 25 cm, that fit on separate oven shelves.
- Use a chopping board, sharp knife and vegetable peeler.
- Use a colander, large mixing bowl, small bowl and fork.
- Use kitchen scales and measuring spoons.
- Use shallow covered containers and an insulated lunch bag with ice packs for packed lunches.
Let’s make it.
- 01
Prepare the vegetables
Heat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7, with shelves positioned for both trays. Cut the squash and potatoes into 2 cm pieces and the onion into 2 cm wedges. Divide between the trays and toss with 25 ml olive oil, half the salt and half the pepper. Spread into a single layer with small gaps; the vegetables should look lightly coated rather than sitting in oil.
- 02
Roast until tender
Roast for about 35–45 minutes, turning the vegetables and swapping the trays between shelves after 20 minutes. Start checking at 35 minutes: the squash should have browned edges, the onion should be soft and a knife should slide easily through the largest potato pieces. Remove any onion or squash pieces that are ready before the potatoes. The cooking estimate allows up to 45 minutes for roasting; if the potatoes are still firm, keep roasting until tender and allow extra time beyond the stated total.
- 03
Prepare the lentils and dressing
While the vegetables roast, drain and rinse the lentils, then leave them in the colander until they stop dripping. Confirm that the tin describes them as cooked and ready to eat. In the small bowl, whisk the remaining 15 ml oil with the lemon juice, parsley, remaining salt and remaining pepper until the dressing looks evenly mixed. Toss the drained lentils with the dressing in the large bowl.
- 04
Toast the seeds
Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to the bowl of lentils. Scatter the pumpkin seeds over one emptied tray and return it to the oven for 2–3 minutes. This oven time is additional to roasting the vegetables and is included in the cooking estimate. Watch closely and remove the seeds when they smell nutty and begin to colour; they should not turn dark brown.
- 05
Finish the salad
For lunch straight away, allow about 2 minutes to gently fold the roasted vegetables through the dressed lentils, keeping the squash pieces mostly intact. Divide the rocket between two plates, spoon the salad over it and scatter with the toasted seeds. Each plate should have half the potatoes, lentils and vegetables.
- 06
Pack for later
For a packed lunch, leave the rocket and seeds separate. Divide the lentil and roast-vegetable mixture between shallow containers to cool promptly, then cover and refrigerate within 1–2 hours of cooking. Check that the fridge is at 0–5°C. Pack the dried rocket and cooled seeds separately and add them just before eating.
Ingredient checks
Choose plain tinned lentils containing lentils, water and optionally salt, and verify their gluten-free suitability and ready-to-eat instructions. Check the pumpkin seeds, oil and ground pepper for added ingredients and relevant cross-contact warnings; a vegan label does not establish gluten-free suitability for someone with coeliac disease. Use clean trays, boards, colanders, utensils and containers, away from flour and breadcrumbs. The ingredient list gives combined quantities for the entire two-person lunch: 40 ml oil is allocated as 25 ml for roasting and 15 ml for dressing, with salt and pepper each split equally. The prepared squash weight and approximate purchase weight describe the same ingredient, not two purchases. No stock, packaged dressing or additional accompaniment is required.
Allergens: No ingredients containing the 14 regulated UK allergens are intentionally included in the specified recipe.; Check labels for celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphites, including precautionary cross-contact warnings.; Pumpkin seeds and lentils can cause allergies outside the regulated list; this recipe is not suitable for everyone..
Make it work for you
Replace the butternut squash with the same prepared weight of another firm-fleshed edible winter squash; roast until tender, as cooking time may differ.
Replace rocket with the same weight of washed and dried baby spinach.
Replace pumpkin seeds with the same weight of plain sunflower seeds checked for gluten-free suitability, watching closely while toasting.
Use 240 g drained, ready-to-eat tinned chickpeas instead of the lentils, checking gluten-free suitability and storage instructions.
For another day
Refrigerate cooled portions within 1–2 hours of cooking, keep at 0–5°C and eat within 48 hours or sooner if a packet specifies a shorter time.
Keep rocket and seeds separate for texture, and carry the salad in an insulated bag with ice packs before refrigerating at your destination.
This recipe starts with raw vegetables and a newly opened tin of cooked lentils; it does not assume previously cooked leftovers.
If substituting previously cooked vegetables or lentils, use only food cooled and refrigerated safely, and count the 48-hour limit from its original cooking time.
Eat the stored salad cold; freezing the assembled salad is not recommended because its texture will deteriorate.
Exploding food
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The ingredients, seen a little differently. This image is an illustration of the main ingredients; use the written recipe for the full list and quantities.
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