Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash

When Aaron and I first started dating, he’d always pitch stuffed bell peppers as a dinner option. Since he was so committed to this idea, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I just don’t really like cooked bell peppers enough to warrant eating a whole one for dinner, no matter how good the stuffing is. I can’t fully explain how much this very strange and innocuous little thing fills my heart, but this stuffed squash is my olive branch to that pepper-obsessed twenty-something, offered about twelve years late. —  In Mary’s Kitchen by Mary Berg, Appetite by Random House®

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Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash

Course Main Course

Servings 4 servings

Author Mary Berg, author of In Mary’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squashes halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup brown lentils
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 medium red onion finely diced
• 1 stalk celery finely diced
• 1 green apple finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves finely grated
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup dried apricots finely diced
• ½ cup walnuts chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
• 3½-5 oz crumbled feta

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400°F and place the acorn squash halves in a baking dish, cut side up.
• Drizzle the flesh with about 1 tablespoon of oil followed by the maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until fork tender.
• Meanwhile, rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve, inspecting for any bad lentils or debris. Transfer them to a saucepan and add the vegetable broth. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain the lentils, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.
• While the lentils cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and apple, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized. Stir in the garlic and curry powder, cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then stir in the lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any burned-on bits. Stir in the spinach and transfer into the lentil bowl.
• Add the cranberries, apricots, walnuts, cilantro, and parsley and mix well to combine.
• Divide the mixture into the roasted acorn squash and scatter with the feta. Drizzle the top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the feta is golden brown.

Notes

Recipe notes:
If you have another variety of dried lentils, swap them in. Red lentils cook the fastest, taking about 20 minutes, and green lentils such as the fancy French Puy variety take 40 to 45 minutes. And if you’re looking for instant lentils, just open a can.

Excerpted from In Mary’s Kitchen by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2023 Mary Berg. Photographs by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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