Lentil salad with butternut squash and pomegranate, with feta, mint, and cilantro.

Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C for fan oven). Crush the garlic with the back of a knife and remove the skin. Place it in a pot with the lentils and the stock cube, covering them with three times their volume in water. Bring to a boil and let simmer over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Drain them, remove the garlic, and let them cool in the pot.

While the lentils are cooking, cut the butternut squash in half and peel 200g per person with a sharp knife or a peeler. Hollow it out and cut it into 1 cm cubes, then place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cut the onion into 6 pieces and add it to the tray.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of African spices, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Bake everything for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Stir halfway through cooking.

Cut the pomegranate in half, then into quarters and remove the seeds (do this over a sink to avoid staining). Take about twenty seeds per person (you can add more later). Finely chop the cilantro and mint.

In a small bowl, combine a splash of white vinegar and olive oil per person: 1/2 tsp mustard, 1 tsp honey, and 1 tsp African spices. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

To finish, mix the roasted vegetables with the lentils and season everything with the vinaigrette. Serve the salad onto the plates. Crumble feta on top and sprinkle with chopped herbs, cashews, and pomegranate seeds.