Vegetarian Christmas starter recipe for 6 people, takes only 40 mins; recipe has greek yogurt, butternut squash, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, clear honey, red wine vinegar, rocket, red onion and pomegranate.
Roasted squash salad with creamy homemade labneh
Course: Vegetarian Christmas starter
Servings
6
servings
Prep time
20 mins
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: 3 tbsp olive oil
- Red Onion: 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- Rocket: 50g mixed baby leaves (or wild rocket, pea shoots or beet leaves)
- Greek Yogurt: 600g Greek yogurt
- Butternut Squash: 1 fat butternut squash
- Pomegranate: seeds from 1 pomegranate (or 110g tub ready-prepared pomegranate seeds), or small handful redcurrants
- Red Wine Vinegar: 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Clear Honey: 1 tbsp clear honey
- Pomegranate Molasses: 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Directions
- The day before, line a bowl with muslin. (If you don't have any muslin, line a sieve with a new J-cloth and set it over a bowl.) Stir 1/2 tsp salt into the yogurt. Tip into the muslin, then bring the edges together to form a tight bundle, tie with string and hang over the bowl (or simply tip into the J-cloth lined sieve). Put in the fridge for 24-36 hrs to drain. You should be left with a firmer, soft cheese-like substance. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Trim the top and bottom of the squash. Slice into 1in-thick rounds, halving any huge ones- you'll need at least 6 slices. Where there are seeds, scrape out with a teaspoon. Brush with 2 tbsp of the oil, season and roast for 30-40 mins on baking sheets, turning halfway, until tender. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.
- Spread a round base of labneh on 6 plates and divide the squash slices between them. Mix the remaining oil with the pomegranate molasses, honey, vinegar and seasoning, then toss with the salad leaves and onion. Divide between the plates, then scatter with pomegranate seeds or redcurrants.
