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Roasted squash with lentils with yogurt
youryum.com/recipes/roasted-squash-with-lentils-with-yogurt · serves 4

Roasted squash and lentils with cool yogurt

Cool lemony yogurt makes the roasted squash taste sweeter and the earthy lentils taste lighter, with toasted cumin tying the plate together.

  • Vegetarian
  • 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 5 August 2026
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Roasted squash lentils and lemony yogurt with herbs
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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Per serving
548kcal
Effort
Easy

Yogurt belongs on the plate, not in the oven. Its coolness is the contrast that keeps roasted squash and lentils from feeling dense, and its tang makes the whole dinner taste more seasoned than it is. Use thick Greek yogurt so it stays in a spoonful instead of running into a puddle.

Make the yogurt first and keep it cold while the squash roasts. Toasted cumin over the top is optional, but it gives the sweet squash a savoury edge that plain ground cumin cannot quite manage.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Squash and lentils

Yogurt

To finish

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray
  • Medium saucepan
  • Small frying pan

Method

  1. Make the yogurt

    Stir the yogurt with the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Taste it now; it should be sharp enough to stand beside the sweet squash. Refrigerate until needed.

    Cold yogurt makes the contrast work.

  2. Roast the squash

    Heat the oven to 220°C fan. Toss the squash with the oil and salt, spread it on a large tray and roast for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the pieces once after 20 minutes so both cut sides brown.

    Hands spooning lemon yogurt beside roasted squash and cooked lentils

  3. Cook the lentils

    Simmer the lentils, carrot, celery and stock for 22 to 25 minutes, until tender. Drain and let them steam dry for a minute. Wet lentils thin the yogurt when they meet on the plate.

  4. Toast the cumin

    Toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for one to two minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Tip them onto a saucer before they darken. They keep cooking in the pan. A pale gold seed is enough; wait for a dark brown colour and the bitterness will travel through the yogurt. I take the pan off the heat as soon as the first seeds begin to jump, then pour them onto a cool saucer so the residual heat cannot push the small seeds any further.

  5. Plate with contrast

    Spoon the yogurt onto a wide platter and spread it with the back of a spoon. Add the dressed lentils and roasted squash, then scatter over the toasted cumin and mint. Serve immediately so the yogurt stays cool.

Squash lentils Greek yogurt lemon garlic cumin mint and vegetables arranged
Make the yogurt before cooking so it has time to chill and settle.

The yogurt is a sauce and a temperature

Cold yogurt does more than add creaminess. It changes how the roasted squash reads. A hot, sweet wedge followed by cool tang feels lighter than the same wedge with oil alone. Keep the yogurt in the fridge until the last moment, and let the squash rest briefly before it lands on top. If the plate is hot enough to warm the yogurt immediately, the contrast disappears.

Garlic gets stronger as it sits in yogurt, so start with one small clove and taste again after ten minutes. Lemon zest gives fragrance without making the sauce watery. Add only a tablespoon of juice at first; more can go in at the table. The lentils should be seasoned separately because they dilute the yogurt. If the finished dish tastes flat, salt the lentils rather than making the yogurt more acidic. Toasted cumin and mint are there to make the spoonful smell fresh before it reaches your mouth.

Nutrition

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

NutrientPer serving
Calories 548 kcal
Protein 25 g
Carbohydrate 70 g
Fibre 18 g
Fat 19 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use regular yogurt?
Yes, but strain it for 20 minutes if it is loose. Thin yogurt runs off the platter and makes the lentils watery.
Can I make the yogurt ahead?
Make it up to two days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Taste before serving because the garlic becomes stronger as it rests.
Can I serve this warm all together?
You can, but the best contrast comes from cold yogurt and warm squash. Let the squash stand for two minutes before plating.

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