As the season of pumpkins descends upon us, so do the many variations of pumpkin soup.
This super versatile vegetable needn't be relegated to soup alone.
In this nourishing recipe roasted pumpkin is combined with puy lentils, rocket and parsley and topped with a tahini yogurt dressing.
It's a filling vegetarian dish that makes a great pack up lunch or supper.

Ingredients (serves 2)
80g dried puy or green lentils, cooked according to packet instructions
350g pumpkin (1/2 small pumpkin approximately)
A handful of flatleaf parsley, leaves only
Two large handfuls of rocket
Sea salt and black pepper to season

For the dressing:
100g organic natural yogurt
1 teaspoon of tahini (sesame paste, available from most supermarkets)
Juice of half a lemon
A pinch of sea salt
A couple of tablespoons of water

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Cut your pumpkin in half, scrape out the seeds from the half you are using and slice the flesh into thick slices. There is no need to peel the pumpkin as this is easier to do so once it is roasted.
Put the sliced pumpkin onto a roasting tray, drizzle with some oil, season well with sea salt and black pepper and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes. A fork should go through the flesh of the pumpkin with ease when it is fully cooked.
Set aside to cool once the pumpkin is fully cooked.
Cook the lentils according to packet instructions.
To make the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the dressing which will make it easier to drizzle.
Peel the pumpkin once it is cool enough to handle.
To assemble, add the pumpkin, lentils, parsley leaves and rocket to a large bowl. Mix & season with black pepper.
Divide the salad between two plates and drizzle over a generous amount of tahini dressing.