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Roasted squash with lentils with lemon and herbs
youryum.com/recipes/roasted-squash-with-lentils-with-lemon-and-herbs · serves 4

Roasted squash, green lentils, plenty of lemon

Sweet roasted squash sits over earthy lentils, then lemon and herbs keep the whole plate bright enough for a second helping.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten free
  • high-fiber
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 18 July 2026
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Roasted squash wedges over green lentils with lemon and herbs
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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Per serving
486kcal
Effort
Easy

Squash and lentils need different kinds of attention. The squash wants a hot tray and space around each piece; the lentils want a gentle simmer and enough dressing to stop them tasting dusty. Cook them separately, then bring them together on the plate.

I use green or Puy lentils here because they hold their shape under the roasted squash. Red lentils turn soft and make a good soup, but they disappear into this dinner. The lemon goes in twice: zest with the squash, juice through the warm lentils.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Squash

Lentils

To finish

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray
  • Medium saucepan
  • Small bowl

Method

  1. Heat the tray

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan and put the empty roasting tray inside. A hot tray gives the first cut side a head start; a cold one lets the squash sit in oil and steam.

  2. Season the squash

    Toss the squash with the oil, cumin, smoked paprika and salt. When the oven is hot, tip it onto the tray in one layer, leaving the broad cut sides facing down.

    Do not crowd it. If the wedges touch, their edges stay pale and the tray fills with water. Use two trays if the squash has to overlap.

    Hands arranging seasoned squash wedges on a hot roasting tray

  3. Roast until the edges catch

    Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, turning the wedges after 20 minutes. They are ready when a knife slides through the thickest piece and the edges have dark caramelised patches. If they are tender but pale, give them another five minutes at the top of the oven.

  4. Simmer the lentils

    While the squash roasts, put the lentils, carrot, celery, bay leaf and stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 22 to 25 minutes. The lentils should be tender with a little bite. Drain them well and remove the bay leaf.

    Salt the lentils after cooking if your stock is salty. Salting very early can make some lentils take longer to soften, and a longer simmer turns their skins ragged.

  5. Dress and serve

    Stir the warm lentils with the lemon juice, zest, vinegar and half the herbs. Taste for salt. Spoon them onto a wide platter, arrange the squash on top and scatter over the remaining herbs. Add a final thread of olive oil if the lentils look dry.

Squash lentils carrot celery lemon and herbs ready for cooking
The whole ingredient list, laid out before the tray goes in.

The roast and the simmer should finish together

Start the squash first because it has the longer, less predictable job. A butternut wedge can be tender in 27 minutes or need 38, depending on how much water it holds and how accurately it was cut. Keep the pieces close in size so you do not end up with one burnt tip and one hard centre.

The lentils are easier to read. At 20 minutes, taste two or three from the pan, not one from the surface. If the centre is chalky, add another splash of water and keep simmering. If they are tender, drain them straight away. Lentils left in hot stock continue cooking and can lose the clean, separate texture that makes this plate work. The dressing is deliberately sharp. Roasted squash brings sweetness, and the lentils bring earthiness; lemon and vinegar stop both from sitting heavily. If the finished lentils taste dull, add acid before adding more salt. If they taste harsh, add olive oil and a tablespoon of warm water to spread the dressing through the grains.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 486 kcal
Protein 18 g
Carbohydrate 70 g
Fibre 18 g
Fat 15 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use canned lentils?
Yes. Drain and rinse about 500 g canned lentils, then warm them with the diced carrot and celery in two tablespoons of stock for five minutes. They will not absorb as much flavour as simmered lentils, so taste carefully before serving.
Can I make this with pumpkin?
Yes, use the same weight and cut it into smaller wedges because pumpkin softens quickly. Start checking after 22 minutes and remove any thin pieces before they collapse.
Why is my roasted squash watery?
The tray is probably crowded or the squash went in cold and wet. Dry the cut pieces, leave space around them and heat the tray before adding the oil and squash.

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