Sometimes I’ve felt inspired to make a meaty main for the holidays, but this year I’m fully on Team Sides.
The demerits of turkey have been well-discussed and it’s not a secret that most of us long for the accompaniments – the roast potatoes, stuffing and Yorkshire puddings –more than we do the main event. My inclination towards something less meat-centric was also cemented by a recent trip to Argentina which, while wonderful, presented me with enough steak, empanadas and sweetbreads to last a lifetime.
Once I arrived back in Blighty, I sought out bitterness and acidity, freshness and crunch, so I made this salad. This is vegetables gone maximal, a “warm salad” that also doubles as a festive side – or even a vegetarian main course. It really is abundant. There are chestnuts and pecans. There is roast pumpkin and warm lentils, fresh tarragon and oregano, plus two types of radicchio, both raw and sauteed. There’s even Stilton on top, because it can’t be Christmas without Stilton.
This dish is warming and hearty, but it’s also bitter and bright, delicately sweet and richly textural. It’s salad as comfort food, vegetables as star of the show. Plus, with its vivid oranges and purples and greens, it even looks festive.
The only way to improve it would be pairing this dish with a festive wine – and what a wine Brand Rosé Pet Nat 2022 is. Crunchy with cranberry notes and jubilantly fizzy, it is an ideal festive bottle, the perfect mix of celebratory and substantive. With this dish, it is also a fitting accompaniment – less a pairing than one more addition, contributing a fresh, tart dimension to the salad that works seamlessly.
I recommend getting two bottles: One to go with this dish and another one to toast with later. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Warm Lentil, Chestnut and Radicchio Salad with Roast Pumpkin
Serves 4-6 as a main course and 8-12 as a side
For the roast pumpkin:
1 2kg sweet, dense-fleshed squash or pumpkin (I used a Crown Prince Squash)
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
1 head firm radicchio
(I used the tapered Treviso variety)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cloves
20g fresh oregano, destemmed and finely chopped
360g whole cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped (I used Merchant Gourmet)
750g cooked Puy lentils (I used Merchant Gourmet)
1 large (or 2 medium) head(s) round radicchio (I used the Chioggia variety)
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
To garnish:
150g pecans
200g Stilton, crumbled
40g fresh tarragon, destemmed
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line two large baking trays with foil. Very carefully, using a very sharp knife, cut the squash or pumpkin in half. Remove the stem and scoop out and discard any pulp and seeds (or keep the seeds to roast later). Slice into roughly 1-inch-thick wedges.
2. Divide the pumpkin wedges between the two baking trays, arranging in a single layer. Drizzle over with olive oil and turn to coat. Season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Roast for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until the skin has softened and the flesh is soft and custardy (but not yet falling apart). Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile, begin to prep the other salad ingredients. Begin with the first head of radicchio, which you’ll be sauteing. Slice off the stem, then cut in half longways. Remove the core from each piece. Slice each in half longways again, then cut laterally into roughly 1-inch pieces.
4. Place a large saute pan over medium-low heat and add half the olive oil. Once hot, add the radicchio and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for roughly 5 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a bowl and then wash or wipe out the saute pan.
5. Place the saute pan back over medium-low heat and add the remaining olive oil. Once warm, add the onion. Cook for roughly 5 minutes, or until starting to soften and turn translucent. Next, add the garlic and cook down for 1-2 minutes more, or until it’s lost its raw smell. Add the cumin and cloves followed by the fresh oregano, stirring to combine.
6. Next, add the chestnuts, mixing until they’re coated in the spiced oil. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Add the lentils and mix through. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are warmed-through and well-incorporated, but not yet falling apart or turning mushy.
7. Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients. Using a fork, whisk until combined. Remove the lentils from the heat, then pour over the dressing, mixing until well-incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. Finally, prep the remaining salad ingredients. Stem and core the radicchio head(s) and cut into smaller pieces as you did before. Toast the pecans: Transfer to a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Toast, tossing frequently, for 5–7 minutes, or until darkened and fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board and leave until cool enough to handle; then, roughly chop.
9. Transfer the warm lentils to a very large bowl. Add the chopped radicchio and mix through. Divide between serving plates or bowls, and top each with a couple wedges of roast pumpkin. Garnish each serving with the toasted pecans and crumbled Stilton, plus fresh tarragon leaves. Serve while still warm.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our Natural Wine Killers wine subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings plus expert tasting notes for three amazing wines like this one every month.
