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By Jessica Krock | | Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes
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If you watched our travel vlogs, you might remember that we found a few really good dishes on our recent trip that we wanted to replicate at home. One of the dishes that stuck out in our minds was a delicious Delicata squash and lentil salad we had at Little Eater at North Market in Columbus, Ohio. The list of ingredients seemed simple enough, so we decided to try it out!
We weren’t really sure what amount we would need of each ingredient, but we tested out a few variations and landed on what we both agreed was a delicious combination. I’m sure it doesn’t taste exactly like the original, but I think it turned out great!
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Not only did it taste great, but with the pops of color from the squash, pomegranate seeds and mint, it looks really nice and festive!
Since we stick to oil-free cooking, we decided to use apple cider vinegar to coat the squash and help the fall spice blend stick to it before baking.
We had never worked with Delicata squash before we started experimenting with this recipe. Even if you don’t want to try out the full recipe, you HAVE to try roasting the squash with these fall spices! It would honestly make a really nice side dish on its own.
I really like the combination of the squash with the lentils. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but it works together very nicely!
Just try not to eat all of the Delicata squash right off the baking tray 😀
Check out the video here and get the full recipe below.
Delicata Squash & Lentil Salad with Fall Spice Blend (Vegan, Oil-Free, Plant-Based)
- Difficulty: easy
Ingredients
- – 1 Delicata squash (approx. 1 to 1.5 pounds)
- – 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- – 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- – 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- – 1/4 tsp cardamom
- – 1/4 tsp allspice
- – 1/2 cup dry green lentils
- – 1 small lemon (juice & zest)
- – 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- – 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
- – 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, cut into ribbons
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Measure the dry spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom & allspice) into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cut the Delicata squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice into half moons, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Place the chopped Delicata squash into a large bowl and coat with the apple cider vinegar. Add half of the spice blend and stir or shake to coat evenly.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spread the squash out into a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes or until tender, flipping halfway through.
- While the squash is baking, rinse your green lentils and cook until just tender. We put ours in an Instant Pot (covered with about 1 inch of water) and set it to high pressure for 5 minutes. Then we allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes and carefully use the manual release. You can also cook these on the stove according to the directions on the package. You want to cook them until they are just tender so they maintain their shape in the salad.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked lentils, zest and juice of the lemon and finely diced red onion. Add in the cooked Delicata squash and coat with remaining half of spice blend. Gently stir to combine.
- Chill and top with pomegranate seeds and mint before serving. Serve cold & enjoy!
Makes 2 servings as a main dish or 4-6 as a side dish.
This is easily the nicest looking dish we have ever made and one of the most unique as well! It is not something I would have thought of putting together, but it packs a delicious punch of flavor. The fall spice blend marries perfectly with the sweetness of the Delicata squash.
I think this would make a great dish to take to a party or family gathering. We enjoy eating it cold, so it would travel easily and it is sure to impress!
Leave us a comment below if you try this one out!
Featured Products:
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365 Everyday Value, Organic Green Lentils, 16 oz
Bragg Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, 16 Ounce
Microplane 46020 Premium Classic Series Zester Grater
Zulay Premium Quality Metal Lemon Lime Juicer
AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat Sheet, Set of 2
*We have the Silpat baking mats, but the Amazon Basics brand above is basically the same thing for a lot cheaper. Just make sure you find the correct size mats for the baking sheets you have.
Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Jelly Roll Pan Baking Mat (2, 14 1/2-Inch by 10-Inch)
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker
365 Everyday Value, Ground Cardamom, 2.12 oz
365 Everyday Value, Ground Allspice, 1.9 oz
365 Everyday Value, Organic Ground Ginger, 1.52 oz
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Brian vs. Jessica: Whole Food Plant-Based Gas Station Challenge »
14 Responses to Recipe: Delicata Squash & Lentil Salad with Fall Spice Blend (Vegan, Oil-Free, Plant-Based)
Joan Belson says:November 14, 2019 at 8:04 am
This looks like a perfect holiday dish! How many servings does this recipe make?
Reply
- Sarah Maddigan says:
November 14, 2019 at 4:42 pm
At the bottom of the recipe it indicates main dish, 2 servings, side dish , 4-6 servings.
Reply
- Karen says:
November 15, 2019 at 1:00 pm
This made me laugh. I just made this and even though it’s not cold, I’ve already helped myself to 2 large servings! It is SO good. Perfect spices.
I would say 4 servings generally? I upped the lentils, red onion, and squash a bit though.Reply
- Jessica Krock says:
November 17, 2019 at 10:55 am
Glad you liked it Karen 😀
Reply
- Jessica Krock says:
November 17, 2019 at 10:56 am
We usually split it into 2 servings if we are eating it as our main meal. For a side dish, I would say 4-6 servings!
Reply
- Jennifer Robinson says:
November 21, 2019 at 2:46 pm
Wonderful recipe! I wish I could send a photo,
Reply
- Jessica Krock says:
November 24, 2019 at 8:12 pm
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Reply
- Maria says:
November 24, 2019 at 6:26 am
I wonder how this would be adding in some wild rice? Maybe even a little wilted kale? I’m trying to figure out if it’s a savory dish, or more on the sweet side, with the squash and fall spice flavors. It’s such a pretty salad and I’d love to make it for Thanksgiving!
Reply
- Jessica Krock says:
November 24, 2019 at 8:26 pm
I think those could work! Brian the flavor master says it is a savory dish with some sweetness 🙂
Reply
- Jean says:
January 11, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Have you tried this with any other squash? Is delicate squash a pretty common squash in grocery stores? New at eating vegan.
Reply
- Jessica Krock says:
March 14, 2022 at 10:31 pm
We haven’t tried it with any other squash, but delicata squash seem to pop up a few times a year around all of the stores we go to! Whenever they do, I always grab a couple 🙂
Reply
- Kate Merriman says:
November 8, 2020 at 6:33 pm
This is SO good. I made it once when I couldn’t find pomegranate seeds and I substituted some chopped apples and that was pretty great too.
Reply
- Kim Olson says:
February 22, 2021 at 12:29 pm
I am absolutely going to try this. It looks delicious!!!!
Reply
- Lisa says:
January 3, 2022 at 8:23 pm
I just made this and it was fantastic! Doubled the lentils, and would even quadruple them next time. Lovely spices, and I even used sumac! Thank you for sharing!
Reply
Joan Belson 
Sarah Maddigan 
Karen 
Jennifer Robinson 
Maria 
Jean 
Kim Olson 
Lisa Leave a Reply
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