roasted honeynut squash with black lentils, caramelized onions, and roasted grapes
Now you can indulge in a restaurant-worthy vegetarian meal at home without the hefty bill. Sweet roasted honeynut squash stuffed with a flavorful and nourishing vegetarian filling. It's incredibly satisfying. Perfect for a plant-forward or plant-based holiday meal or everyday fare.
5button mushroomsstems removed, cut into small bite-sized pieces (small dice)
1clovegarlicpeeled and minced
2tablespoonssherry
1small onionpeeled and thinly sliced
½cupwater
toppings:
8tablespoonsplain greek yogurtdivided evenly between the squash (substitute: oatgurt or preferred vegan yogurt)
8sprigs of fresh dill
¼teaspoonground black pepperoptional
instructions
honeynut squash
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cut the ends off and then cut in half vertically. Using a small spoon, scrape out the seeds (though, usually you can roast the entire honeynut squash and eat the seeds too!).
Place the prepared squash on a quarter sheet pan (9 in. by 13 in.) cut side up. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
filling
roasting grapes - Place grapes on another quarter sheet pan and toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Roast in the oven along with the squash for 10-15 minutes until caramelized. It’s okay if they get slightly charred, but keep an eye on them since the sugar burns easily.
cooking lentils - Prepare the other filling ingredients while the squash and grapes are roasting. Sort through the lentils and pick out any small stones/pebbles or debris (see notes). In a small saucepan, add the black lentils, vegetable stock, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then cover and simmer on low heat for 23 minutes.
sautéing mushrooms - Heat a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and sear the maitake mushrooms. Flip each slice with a spatula until both sides start to brown. Once the mushrooms have browned, season with ⅛ teaspoon salt and then remove from the pan once golden brown with crispy edges. Add diced button mushrooms to the same pan with another ½ teaspoon olive oil and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper. Sauté until golden brown while stirring occasionally. Season with ⅛ teaspoon salt, add in the minced garlic, stir and deglaze the pan with sherry.
cooking caramelized onions - In a medium sauté pan (10- to 12-inch works well), add 1 teaspoon olive oil and the sliced onions and cook over medium-low heat while stirring every few minutes. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and spread out the onions in an even layer each time you stir so they can caramelize evenly. You’ll know to stir when the bottom of the onions start to brown and slightly stick to the pan. Add water when needed to deglaze the pan (see notes) and cook until onions are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
mixing the squash filling - In a medium bowl, combine the caramelized onions, roasted grapes, cooked lentils, and sautéed button mushrooms. Stir until evenly mixed. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the filling into the cavity of each honeynut squash.
plating
Top each stuffed squash with a 1 tablespoon of yogurt, a piece of maitake mushroom, and a sprig of fresh dill. Sprinkle with a pinch of ground black pepper if you like right before serving.
notes
sorting lentils: This is the easiest and fastest way to sort through lentils. Pour the lentils onto one side of a small sheet pan. Then slide them to the other side with your fingers as you look through each section. You'll be able to easily pick out pebbles by looking for anything that's different in shape or color this way.caramelized onions: Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan when you see browned bits on the bottom. Using the liquid, scrape the pan with a wooden spatula. This will keep the onions from drying out and burning.For a deeper flavor, you can cook the onions for an extra 30 minutes until dark brown (like the color of dark brown sugar). You'll need to stir more frequently near the end. This will increase the flavor exponentially and is worth the wait if you're in for a relaxing day of cooking.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.