Lentil & Roasted Squash Salad

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, carefully add the eggs to the pot and cook 7 minutes for soft-boiled, or until your desired degree of doneness. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the eggs to a strainer and rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, peel the cooked eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the ends of the squash. Halve lengthwise; using a spoon, scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Cut the squash crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the scallions on an angle, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Halve the tomatoes; place in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling. In a bowl, combine the salsa verde and labneh. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

Add the lentils to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 25 to 27 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under water.

Meanwhile, place the squash pieces on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; turn to coat and arrange in an even layer. Roast 24 to 26 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced white bottoms of the scallions, chopped garlic, and as much of the sliced pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Turn off the heat. Add the juice of 2 lemon wedges and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Stir to combine.

To the bowl of seasoned tomatoes, add the rinsed lentils, vinaigrette, and roasted squash. Toss to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished squash and lentils topped with the seasoned eggs and creamy salsa verde. Garnish with the almonds and sliced green tops of the scallions. Serve the remaining lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!