Search for pumpkin and lentil recipes and curries, stews, and soups are the top Google hits. With this recipe, I let the pumpkin and lentils stand distinct on the plate, but they both take centre stage with their flavour and texture. The earthy, peppery lentils with a gentle kick from the rose harissa and the slightly sweet and nutty roasted pumpkin with an incredible orange colour and melt-in-the-mouth texture. My partner is also my official recipe tester, and this is one of his favourites! Please give it a go and tell me what you think!
Inspiration for this dish was born from pondering how to use the crown prince pumpkin I had grown in my vegetable patch. Only one pumpkin made it through the growing season, but it was beautiful! I wanted to create a recipe highlighting this pumpkin's vibrant colour and flavour. It sat on my kitchen counter, maturing, for almost six months before I decided to go ahead and make a simple comfort food meal. This is my ode to my love of the crown prince pumpkin! It's easy to make, and the most flavourful and comforting meal. This is one recipe I think you will be making again and again. Simple, flavourful and healthy.
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Ingredients
- Crown prince pumpkin
- Green lentils
- Red onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Rose Harissa
- Tahini
- Vegan yoghurt
- Salt
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare your ingredients:
- Soak the lentils for 2-3 hours. Then rinse and drain the water.
- Finely chop the onions, garlic and celery.
- Grate the garlic.
- Roughly chop the parsley.
Cut the pumpkin into wedges and marinate in olive oil, salt and thyme.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Place the marinated wedges on the baking tray/sheet pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the wedges halfway.
While the pumpkin is roasting, in a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onions, celery and garlic until soft. About five minutes
Add the lentils, salt and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, simmer, and cook until soft - about 15 minutes. Add the rose harissa once the lentils are cooked and mix well.
While the lentils are cooking, mix the yoghurt, tahini and grated garlic in a bowl.
Add a smear of the dressing on the plate, and top with the cooked lentils.
Place the roasted pumpkin wedges on top.
Finish with the dressing and garnish with chopped parsley.
Substitutions
I have used green lentils for this recipe; you can replace them with brown lentils, split green peas or even whole moong beans.
You can substitute rose harissa with paprika together with cumin and coriander powder.
Variations
Crown prince pumpkin has so much flavour; you can roast it and have it with burrata (if not dairy-free) or even good quality mozzarella, along with a salad.
Equipment
Digital scales are essential to get the right amounts of the ingredients
Storage
You can store the lentils, roasted pumpkin and dressing separately in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge.
Top tip
Pre-soak the lentils for at least two hours to reduce the cooking time.
To save time, get the pumpkin in the oven, then get the lentils cooking, and finally prepare the dressing, in that order.
FAQ
Like other lentils and pulses, green lentils are a good source of plant-based protein. They retain their shape after cooking, so are great for this dish, accompanying the roasted pumpkin. These lense-shaped lentils don't need soaking for an extended period, just a couple of hours if you want to speed up the cooking time.
This pumpkin was a favourite of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, which is how it got its name. It has a bluish skin but reveals a bright orange flesh when cut into. It is the most flavourful pumpkin in my opinion and can even be served roasted and simply seasoned with salt and pepper. When cooked, the flesh is melt-in-the-mouth nutty and sweet. All this combines to make it my favourite pumpkin to cook with.
Related Recipes
Looking for other pumpkin and squash recipes? Try these:
Pairing
Here are some suggestions to serve with roasted pumpkin and green lentils:
📖 Recipe
Crown Prince Pumpkin Wedges & Lentils with a Tahini Yoghurt Dressing
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Baking tray/sheet pan
Ingredients
Cooking the Pumpkin
- 700 g Crown prince pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- A few sprigs of thyme
Cooking the Lentils
- 200 g Green lentils
- 100 g Red onions
- 25 g Celery
- 5 g Garlic one clove
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Rose harissa
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 300 ml Water
Making the Dressing
- 100 g Dairy-free yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon Tahini
- 5 g Garlic one clove
- 10 g Parsley
Instructions
Cook the Lentils
- Soak the lentils for 2-3 hours. Then rinse and drain the water.
- Finely chop the onions, garlic and celery.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onions, celery and garlic until soft. About five minutes
- Add the lentils, salt and water. Cover and boil. Reduce the heat and simmer and cook until soft - about 15 minutes. Add the harissa and mix well at the end of the 15 minutes.
Cook the Pumpkin
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC
- Cut the pumpkin into wedges, retaining the skin—Marinate in olive oil, salt and thyme.
- Place the wedges on the baking tray/sheet pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the wedges halfway.
Make the Tahini-Yoghurt Dressing
- In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, tahini and grated garlic.
- Roughly chop the parsley leaves
To Serve
- Add a smear of the dressing on the plate, and top with the cooked lentils.
- Place the roasted pumpkin wedges on top.
- Finish with the dressing and garnish with chopped parsley.
Nutrition
NOTES
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen at home.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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