Oh, this is one of our all-time favorites. I got it out of a magazine years ago but I’ve been making it so long I can’t remember which magazine exactly…but I’ve adapted it a bit over the years I think. You’ll see it on my menus at least once every couple of months…so simple but so very soul satisfying, healthy and good. It’s one of those dishes that really allows simple clean flavors to shine and makes you remember that sometimes, less really is more!
To make this a quick weeknight meal, plan it when your roasting butternut squash earlier in the week for a different meal and just roast up a second one ahead of time. You can also cook the lentils the night before while your cooking a different meal and then this meal turns into just simple assembly. Even if you do it all the night of, it’s very easy the squash and lentils just take ~40 minutes to cook…but you can be off doing something else while they’re cooking!
1 butternut squash
1 cup french green lentils (or brown lentils if you can’t find these, but french green ones are perfect here!)
4 eggs
2 TBS Sherry Vinegar (or Red Wine Vinegar works fine too)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS White Vinegar (for the egg poaching water)
Seasonings to taste: coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, rosemary, red pepper flakes
- Preheat the oven to 450
- Cook the lentils according to the package instructions…but be sure to cook them al dente (if that applies to lentils!) so they still have a bit of a bite to them. No mushy lentils here!
- While the lentils are cooking, roast the butternut squash in the oven. To do this, split the squash in half lengthwise, scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out. Drizzle the squash (cut side up) with olive oil (1-2 TBS), and season generously with coarse salt & fresh pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes on a foil-lined rimmed pan (easy clean up!), until fork tender.
- Once the lentils are done, in a large bowl mix together 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil & the 2 TBS of Sherry Vinegar. Drain the lentils and add them to the dressing, season with salt and pepper. Set 1/2 of the lentils aside for leftovers, split the remaining lentils among 2 plates (right in the middle).
- Once the squash is done let it cool, then slice it into 2” slices cross-wise (going up the length of each side of the squash). Flip each slice on it’s side and use a knive to trim the skin away. Set 1/2 of the squash aside for leftovers (you can store it right on top of the lentils your putting away). Place the remaining squash slices on top of the lentils on each plate.
- In a large pot add about 6” deep of water along with 2 TBS of white vinegar and bring it to a gentle boil. Crack 4 eggs into small individual dishes and then use these dishes to slip each egg softly into the gently boiling water. Cook for 2-4 minutes depending on how cooked you like your egg. Strain the cooked eggs with a slotted spoon and place 2 on top of the lentils & squash gently on each plate.
- Season generously with salt, pepper, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Break that yolk, dig in and enjoy!
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