The roasted butternut squash takes on the depth of warm spicy flavours when sautéed with the spiced tomatoes. Before serving drizzle with dill yogurt creating an absolute delicious dish! Serve over lentils, rice or dip with pita bread.
This recipe was created with an influence of Middle Eastern flavours and it is one of the best recipes! The sweetness of the roasted butternut squash is delicious start to this dish, then once added to the warm spices and the tomatoes, balances the sweetness creating these bold flavours. Once the yogurt and dill is drizzled over the dish, it finishes the dish in it’s perfection!
You don’t need to be a vegetarian to enjoy this dish. I will confess that I love my meat dishes and every once in awhile I will thoroughly enjoy a meatless meal, just for a change and to appreciate the flavours you can create without including meat.
This Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash recipe with Dill Yogurt is an absolute delicious and satisfying vegetarian meal you can enjoy as a meal, side dish or meze and you will forget you’re not eating meat!
INGREDIENTS AND TIPS
BUTTERNUT SQUASH: is my favourite squash for it’s sweetness and in my experience it’s the best sqaush to use for roasting. Acorn squash is another one I like use for roasting.
ONION AND GARLIC: these are the base for the spiced tomatoes, adding lots of flavour
TOMATO: I used organic cherry tomatoes for this recipe, other options are a couple of tomatoes diced with seeds removed or if you have a can diced tomatoes, you will only need 4 oz or half cup.
SPICES: ginger, cumin, paprika and turmeric add the perfect balance of these warm spices; at the end of the cooking process add a few pinches of red pepper flakes for some heat.
YOGURT AND DILL: I like to use organic or natural plain yogurt without any preservatives or added flavours. Easily substitute with plant-based yogurt. This topping finishes this dish with it’s fresh and tangy flavor that really brings this side dish to it’s level of deliciousness!
WHY MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE......
- EASY TO MAKE WITH A FEW INGREDIENTS
- NUTRITIOUS DISH WITH MANY HEALTH BENEFITS
- AN EXCELLENT VEGETARIAN OPTION
- A PERFECT SIDE TO ADD TO ANY MEAL, INCLUDING CHICKEN, TURKEY, FISH OR BEEF
- SATISFYING AS A MAIN MEAL WITH LENTILS, RICE OR PITA BREAD
EASILY MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO A VEGAN DISH!
All it requires is replacing the dairy Greek yogurt to plant-based yogurt….there you have it, it’s that easy!! You will love this dish, it is so flavourful, healthy and incredibly delicious that is perfect for the cold winter months, but heck, why not enjoy this dish anytime of the year!!
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS SIDE DISH
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil and spread evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the squash and place into the oven for 30 minutes until golden and tender.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender about 3 minutes. Then add garlic and spices, cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and place lid on the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened, season with salt and add red pepper flakes if you desire. Add hot water and roasted squash to the skillet and simmer for another 5 minutes until the water reduces. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Mix together the yogurt and dill in small bowl and drizzle over the top and garnish with fresh dill. I served this dish with lentils and other options are rice or pita bread. There you have it, a beautiful and delicious vegetarian meal or side dish.
STORING
This recipe serves 2 people as a light meal or 3-4 people as a side. If you have any leftovers, I would suggest to store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an airtight container. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it, however, you can but expect that it won’t hold it’s shape when reheating. Honestly, this dish is so good, you won’t have any leftovers!
Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentils with Dill Yogurt
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb (.450kg) butternut squash, peeled, chopped into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
- salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup dry green lentils, rinsed (optional)
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 4 oz (118ml) cherry tomatoes, sliced (2 medium tomatoes, diced or ½ cup can diced tomatoes)
- ¼ tsp salt
- red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup hot water
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp dill, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil and spread evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the squash and place into the oven for 30 minutes until golden and tender.
- If adding lentils, this would be the time to bring a small pot of water to a boil, add salt and lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until tender, not falling apart. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender about 3 minutes. Then add garlic and spices, cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and place lid on the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened, season with salt and add red pepper flakes if you desire.
- Add hot water and roasted squash to the skillet and simmer for another 5 minutes until the water reduces. Taste to adjust seasoning. Avoid overcooking, as the squash will become mushy.
- Mix together the yogurt and dill in small bowl.
- To serve, transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with yogurt and dill mixture and garnish with dill. Serve with lentils, rice or pita bread.
