Spiced Lentils with Squash and Chicken
A healthy, one-pot meal thats ready in under an hour. This cozy dish starts with simmering earthy lentils and sweet squash together with bold spices like coriander and ginger. The dish is finished with shredded chicken and hearty greens for a robust dinner thats perfect for fall and winter.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 200 grams Butternut squash peeled, chopped
- 2 cloved garlic crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes or to taste
- 125 grams dried green lentils rinsed
- 600 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock2
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 400 grams cooked chicken shredded
- 100 grams kale or seasonal greens, beet, chard etc. Chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- handful Italian parsley leaves chopped
- handful fresh mint leaves chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Aleppo chili to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep saucepan over a medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and toast for a few minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Immediately transfer to a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder and grind to a rough powder.
- In the same pan, heat a splash of olive oil over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the carrots, onion and ground coriander, and sweat for 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened but without colour.
- Add the squash, garlic and chilli flakes, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the lentils and continue stirring for a further minute.
- Pour in the stock and add the tomato paste. Stir well. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until the lentils and squash are tender.
- Stir in the chicken, kale, lemon juice and mint and parsley leaves. Season with salt and pepper, and continue simmering for 10 minutes, uncovered, or until the lentils are fully cooked and the kale has wilted.
- Serve, sprinkled liberally with Aleppo chill flakes. Delicious when served with a side of thick Greek-style yogurt and flatbread.