Creamy Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash
User Reviews
5
163 reviews
Excellent
Creamy Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash
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This recipe features butternut squash halves roasted until tender and filled with a creamy lentil mixture enhanced with fresh herbs, garlic, red wine, and a blend of tahini and miso paste. The lentils cook in vegetable broth with spices and tomato paste, creating a rich filling that balances the natural sweetness of the roasted squash. A smooth butternut-tahini sauce made from the roasted squash adds an extra layer of flavor and creaminess, making this dish hearty and satisfying for a vegetarian main or side.
Description
Creamy Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash begins by roasting medium butternut squash halves until fork-tender and lightly browned to bring out their sweetness. The filling combines sautéed onions, garlic, fresh sage, rosemary, and tomato paste, cooked down and deglazed with red wine. Lentils simmer in vegetable broth alongside paprika and a bay leaf, then get blended with tahini and white miso paste for creaminess and depth. Balsamic vinegar brightens the mixture just before stuffing into the squash halves. The included butternut-tahini sauce, made by blending roasted squash with tahini and olive oil, complements the filling with subtle richness. This recipe combines roasted, creamy, and herbaceous notes to create a balanced vegetarian dish that can be served warm as a fulfilling meal or side. Fresh Italian parsley adds a finishing touch of color and mild herb flavor, enhancing the presentation and taste.
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Ingredients
- 3 butternut squash medium
- olive oil or avocado oil; for roasting
- salt kosher salt and freshly cracked
- black pepper kosher salt and freshly cracked
Creamy Lentil Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (you will need more oil if not using a nonstick pan)
- 2 onions diced, large, yellow
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sage fresh, roughly chopped leaves
- 2 teaspoons rosemary fresh, roughly chopped leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/3 cup dry red wine 80 mL; such as Pinot Noir, Shiraz/Syrah, or Malbec
- 1 cup green lentils or brown lentils, 190g
- 2 ⅔ cups vegetable broth 640 mL
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or hot paprika
- 2 ½ tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons White miso paste
- 2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar good-quality
Butternut-Tahini Sauce
- 1 cup butternut squash from the scooped out halves, roasted
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3-6 tablespoons water more as needed to thin the sauce, or vegetable broth
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Italian flat-leaf parsley for garnish, chopped
Instructions
- Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Slice each butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and sticky stuff with a spoon. Place each squash half, cut side up, on a large baking sheet and rub each with a bit of the oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh is fork tender and lightly browned.
- Make the Creamy Lentil Filling. Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions and season with a pinch of salt and sauté for 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning but not too often so that they can brown, or until most of the onions are browned. Add the garlic, sage and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine into all of the ingredients, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and pour in the red wine and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated and the smell of alcohol has dissipated, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, along with the lentils, bay leaf, and paprika. Stir to combine and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer, and simmer until the lentils are just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the tahini, miso, and balsamic vinegar, and stir until well incorporated. Taste for seasonings, adding about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- When the roasted squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh from each squash half, leaving a ½ to ¾-inch -thick border around the sides and bottom.
- Transfer 1 cup of the butternut squash flesh to a food processor (set aside the rest for another use, such as a risotto, pasta, oatmeal, or smoothie).
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F° (175°C).
- Stuff the lentil filling into each squash cavity. Add the stuffed squash halves to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until everything is warmed through.
- Meanwhile, make the butternut tahini sauce. To the food processor with the 1 cup squash flesh, add the tahini, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and blend until smooth. Stream in the water or broth, scraping down the sides as you go, until you have a pourable but thick sauce.
- To serve, drizzle the butternut tahini sauce on top of the stuffed baked squash. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
447kcal
(22%)
Carbohydrates
60g
(20%)
Protein
14g
(28%)
Fat
19g
(29%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
(24%)
Monounsaturated Fat
11g
(55%)
Sodium
554mg
(23%)
Potassium
1392mg
(30%)
Fiber
17g
(68%)
Sugar
10g
(20%)
Vitamin A
27077IU
(542%)
Vitamin C
60mg
(67%)
Calcium
183mg
(18%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 447 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 447kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 60g | 20% |
| Protein | 14g | 28% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Sodium | 554mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 1392mg | 30% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 27077IU | 542% |
| Vitamin C | 60mg | 67% |
| Calcium | 183mg | 18% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
163 reviews
Excellent
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