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An image of Roasted squash with warm spices, pickled chilies, and lemon mint labneh on a white ceramic plate against a white background.
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Roasted Squash with Warm Spices, Pickled Chilies, and Lemon Mint Labneh

Tender, succulent roasted squash, anointed with warm spices, pairs up with vibrant pickled chillies and creamy labneh enriched with mint and preserved lemon, for an easy yet spectacular and fragrant offering for your table.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the roasted squash:

  • 2.5-3 lbs butternut squash approx 1 medium squash, cut in half lengthwise, peeled, interior seeds and membranes removed
  • 2 teaspoon ras el hanout spice mix
  • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • sea salt to taste

For the pickled chillies (you will have leftovers to use elsewhere, *see notes)

  • 2 red chilli peppers thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked salt substitute with sea salt if needed
  • 1 teaspoon granulated maple sugar substitute with cane sugar if needed

For the labneh mixture:

  • 2 cups labneh
  • 2 tablespoon preserved lemon peel finely chopped, interior flesh and membranes discarded, *see notes
  • 2-3 teaspoon preserved lemon brine or lemon juice, to taste
  • 3 teaspoon fresh mint leaves finely slivered, a few strands reserved for garnish

Instructions

  • Set your oven to 450°F and line a roasting tray with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
  • Once your squash is peeled, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise, cut the squash into stubby, angled, thick (on one end and thin on the other) chunks. Place all of the cut squash into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the ras el hanout, then add the olive oil, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Toss and stir to coat.
  • Lay out the squash on the prepared baking sheet, leaving room between each piece, and scrape out any remaining spiced oil from the bowl with a silicone spatula and drizzle on top. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, until squash is tender and starting to brown at the edges. Remove the tray from the oven - squash can be served warm or room temperature as you prefer.
  • While the squash is roasting, first prepare the pickled chillies. Make the brine: using a clean glass jar, add the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Shake or stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add in the sliced chili peppers and submerge in the brine. Let sit for a while on the counter as you make the labneh and the squash finishes roasting.
  • While the squash finishes roasting, prepare the labneh mixture, adding the labneh, finely chopped preserved lemon peel, preserved lemon brine or lemon juice, and finely slivered mint into a bowl or food processor. Mix and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more lemon juice or brine to brighten the flavours as needed. Only add salt after tasting as preserved lemons can be salty.
  • To plate for serving, mound and smear the prepared labneh on the bottom of a large plate or shallow bowl. Mound the roasted squash on top of the labneh, and garnish with pickled chili slices and reserved slivered mint leaves. Take a teaspoon or two of the pickled chili brine and drizzle over the labneh, serve with extra pickled chillies and brine on the side if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

There will likely be leftover pickled chillies and brine; store in the refrigerator for around a week. The delicious accompanying brine will last even longer, and can be used in an endless variety of ways.
When using preserved lemons, rinse if excessively salt crusted or salty. Remove the inner flesh, membranes, and flesh before slivering and dicing. As preserved lemons can be very salty, taste your tabbouleh before adding any additional salt.