Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad

This is one amazing salad.  It has everything going for it.  It tastes fantastic, and its not only healthy, but hearty enough for a fall meal as well.  This recipe is from Bon Appetit October 2009, and you can find it here, on epicurious. The recipe claims to serve 6, but this is if you're having it as a starter or side salad. It only served two of us as a main course for dinner, granted we did go back for seconds.  I think it would make a perfect fall lunch as well.  Here is the recipe with the slight variations I made...

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup green lentils
• 6 cups of pumpkin cut into one inch chunks from one two pound whole pumpkin    
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 package (about 4 cups) mixed greens
• 1 package of goat's cheese (100 grams)
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.

Preheat oven to 375 F, or 190 C.

Place 3/4 cup green lentils in a bowl of cold water and let soak for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, remove the seeds and guts from the pumpkin.

Then remove the skin and cut it into 1 inch pieces.  Place these in a roasting pan.  Pour two tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon hot paprika, and 1/2 a teaspoon sea salt over your pumpkin and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Place pumpkin in the oven and roast for half an hour, mixing about half way through.  At the same time, boil your lentils for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes is up, drain your lentils and place them in a large bowl with your freshly roasted pumpkin.  Add mixed greens, goats cheese, 1/4 cup of mint, and one tablespoon red wine vinegar.  Toss it all together and you'll have a great fall salad.

This salad is really good.  I enjoyed the contrasts in this dish.  For texture, you have crunchy greens, against soft pumpkin, and lentils.  Then for taste you have the sweet pumpkin flavor with a hint of spice versus the earthy taste of lentils, the salt of the goats cheese, and a bit of sourness from the vinegar.  My picture doesn't do it much justice, but visually it is appealing as well, as the purples, oranges, and greens make a very pretty dish.