Butternut squash salad with labneh and chilli recipe
This warming salad is perfect for chilly nights or as a satisfying side dish.
NOTE: This dish needs to be prepared one to two days in advance.
TOP TIPS:
- Labneh is yogurt that has been strained of all its whey, leaving the thick, almost cheesy, curd behind. It needs a day or two to reach its peak, so if you’re making this in a hurry, use a really thick Greek-style yogurt.
- Use goat’s milk yogurt instead, to produce lovely goat’s curd. It's also delicious just spread on toast.
- Perk up leftover labneh with herbs and garlic for a sort of homemade Boursin.
Recipe adapted from The Really Quite Good British Cookbook, images copyright © Lizzie Mayson, recipes copyright © James Ramsen. Nourish Books.
Ingredients
- 500 g natural, unsweetened yogurt
- 1 small butternut squash or pumpkin
- 1 drizzle of olive oil
- 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
- 1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large bunch of parsley, leaves only
- 1.2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed to a paste
- 0.5 lemon, juice only
- 100 ml olive oil
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Butternut squash
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 45 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- 1–2 days ahead: line a sieve with cheesecloth, muslin or a clean tea towel. Stir a pinch of salt into the yoghurt then tip it into the lined sieve. Tie the towel up with string to create a hobo sack-like parsel. Set the sieve (with the yoghurt bundle inside) over a larger bowl and place it in the refridgerator. Leave it to strain for up to 3 days.
- Up to 1 day ahead: pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Wash the squash but don’t peel it (the skin is delicious) and cut it into rounds, discarding the seeds. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, and roast for 45 minutes.
- Leave to cool; chill overnight if necessary.
- Up to 1 hour ahead: make the dressing by chopping the parsley finely and mixing it with the ground coriander, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, or whizz everything together in a blender.
- 30 minutes ahead: if necessary, warm the squash in a medium oven (180°C/350°F/gas mark 4).
- Dinnertime: place the chunks of squash on a plate and top with a dollop of labneh. Scatter with chopped chilli and a generous splash of the parsley dressing, then serve.
This recipe is adapted The Really Quite Good British Cookbook, images copyright © Lizzie Mayson, recipes copyright © James Ramsen. Nourish Books.
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