I seem to always be impulse-buying leeks and squash in the autumn months – I’m not sure why, but they just call to me. Luckily, their flavors combine pretty beautifully in this Creamy Leek and Squash Lentil Bowl with Cinnamon Tahini Dressing, but of course the tahini dressing does some heavy lifting, too!
If you are looking for meal prep, a healthy dinner, or a great lunch – this recipe is it. Lentils never get enough love and I would love to change that.
Table of contents
First, let’s start with the leeks
The leeks are a small element of this Creamy Leek and Squash Lentil Bowl – but WOW do they pack in a ton of flavor. When you roast leeks whole, their interior turns into soft, tender and creamy strands, perfect for mixing in with the lentil bowl to give it texture and flavor.
The leeks end up tasting similar to caramelized onions, and tip: you can save the charred outsides to use for vegetable stock. It’s delicious.
The best way to roast leeks for this Creamy Leek and Squash Lentil Bowl
The best way to get leeks to look like the photo above? Roast ’em whole.
You’ll need to do this at a high temperature (think 425°F), for about 45-50 minutes. When they start looking darkened and are soft to the touch, then they are ready!
What type of squash work best for this recipe?
I say any winter squash will do the job, but the following are my favorite options:
- Honeynut squash, for how small and sweet they are!
- Kabocha squash, choose a small one and you’ll get a great potato-like texture. Plus they are so filling.
- Delicata squash, I love these tiny squash for their flavor and also for the fact that you don’t need to peel them!
- Acorn squash, again – choose a small one for this recipe. But the nutty flavor is simply unmatched!
What makes the cinnamon tahini dressing so good
So when you first think cinnamon, you might be tempted to think “sweet.” But cinnamon is used in a ton of savory applications, including this creamy, earthy tahini dressing.
What makes the dressing so delicious is that cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika and tahini come together to make this dressing layered in flavor but not spicy. Water then thins it out to the perfect texture, which is what makes tahini so magical. It has the best ability to meld into the perfect texture.
A few tips and tricks for this lentil salad
- This may sound weird, but for the ultimate creaminess, add splashes of hot water to the lentils and dressing when you first mix it (before the herbs). It will meld the dressing and lentils together into the most amazing (glossy!) texture.
- Don’t skimp on the herbs! The mint is such a delicious punch to this lentil salad, and the cilantro feels like something I can’t live without. If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to swap in parsley 🙂
- Swap out the feta with vegan feta or flaky salt if you are plant-based – it’s equally delicious, you just need something salty in there.
Storage suggestions for this lentil salad as meal prep
This recipe is fantastic for meal prep, and the flavors only build as they store in the fridge!
For storage, I would recommend mixing the entire recipe together (herbs included). Then portion it into four airtight containers. These will keep for up to four days in the fridge.
If you plan on serving these with carbs during dinner – such as rice, quinoa, or flatbreads – I recommend storing those separately.
And that’s it for this Creamy Leek and Squash Lentil Bowl!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Creamy Leek and Squash Lentil Bowl with Cinnamon Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- 2 half sheet pans
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks
- 2 small winter squash any variety, about 1 pound a piece
- 1 large red onion
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup French lentils
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup fresh cilantro torn into pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh dill roughly chopped
For the tahini dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground cumin and smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half if using Morton's
- 1/4 cup cool water
For serving
- 2-3 cups cooked brown rice
- 2.5 ounces feta stored in brine
Instructions
- Position a rack to the bottom and top of the oven and preheat to 425°F.
- Cut the green tops off the leeks (reserve them for stock or another recipe). Clean the white bottoms well, then place them on a sheet pan. Roast these on the bottom rack of the oven, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.
- While the leeks are roasting, dice the squash and red onion and add them to a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast these on the top rack for the remaining 20-25 minutes while the leeks finish.
- Rinse the 1 1/2 cups of lentils in a medium pot. Add 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring this to a boil and boil for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the tahini dressing except the water. Then slowly drizzle in the water, whisking constantly, to make a smooth dressing. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as preferred.
- When the leeks are done roasting, slice through the charred outside and scoop out the soft centers. In a large bowl, stir the softened leek centers with the drained lentils. Add the roasted squash and red onion and mix, season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in half the dressing and mix until creamy. Add 1 cup of torn cilantro, 1/2 cup of mint leaves, and 1/2 cup chopped dill. Mix again.
- (A small "hack" here is to add splashes of hot water to the bowl as you mix, which sounds odd, but it will make the dressing all creamy with the lentils).
- To serve, serve with brown rice and drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Sprinkle with half an ounce of feta per serving.
“If you don’t like cilantro…”
?!
How do you prevent leek grit here? I see so many recipes lately that make cleaning the inside of the leek impossible, which makes me think that leeks are somehow not dirty on the inside anymore? I avoid them because cleaning them is a hassle.
Hi! I like to halve them so the greens and whites are separate, then really pull the parts back under running water to wash out as much grit as possible! I’ve found it only takes a few minutes 🙂
This recipe is such a burst of flavours and such a warm autumn-y dish. Repeating this all fall!
This recipe was fantastic and perfectly emblematic of everything I want to eat during autumn. My partner found it equally mouth watering and repeatedly said, (mind you this is a literal translation of a French Canadian expression) it’s so good I could roll around on the ground! Definitely a repeat recipe !
Great recipe and very beginner friendly!
Can you use green lentils? Will they hold their shape well enough? I have those at home so would love to use them! Thanks!
This is a knockout! Warm, filling, and so many flavor layers. The tahini dressing is insane I need more inspo of what to put it on because I want to eat it on everything!
Definitely going to be an autumn/winter repeat!
Gotta say, the first time I made it, I realized last minute I was unknowingly out of tahini 🙁
So I used hummus instead and adjusted the spices and honey to taste. It surprisingly worked well 🙂
Justine you’ve outdone yourself again! I love all of your recipes for their wholesomeness; fulfilling on multiple levels. This all comes together so nicely and the tips are great too. I will say my leeks didn’t roast quite as nicely as I would’ve liked but they weren’t as fresh anymore either.
This recipe definitely satisfied the warm and comforting cravings I was having. How would you recommend consuming leftovers?
I like to keep them in the fridge in individual portions. They keep for up to five days and only get better with time!
This was incredible. Kabocha squash supremacy. My only critique is that the dressing is so good that next time I will absolutely be making a double batch so I can really slather it on. Hell yeah.