Mediterranean open sandwich with butternut squash and lemony courgette
About the recipe
Silky roasted squash forms the base of this delicious sandwich. Topped with lemony charred courgette and cabbage for freshness; fragrant thyme; and a salty hit of olives to contrast the sweet squash.
It's really worth the effort for a special lunch.
Mediterranean open sandwich with butternut squash and lemony courgette
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 garlic clove
1 chilli
1 courgette
A quarter of a white cabbage
Juice of half a lemon
Half a chilli
A handful of kalamata olives
A drizzle of olive oil
A few sprigs of thyme
Half a loaf of ciabatta or sourdough bread (enough for 4 open sandwiches)
You’ll also need
A food processor
A griddle pan (or a frying pan will also work)
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Preheat your oven to gas mark 7 (210C, 425F)
Make your squash purée
Roast the squash, chilli and garlic
Start by topping and tailing the squash, then peel it.
I find it easiest to remove the skin with a speed peeler (just make sure you go over it a couple of times – the white layer directly under the skin can be a bit tough).
Cut it into quarters, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Cut the flesh it into 1cm pieces, put it in a big roasting tin, and rub it in a couple of tablespoons of the oil and a pinch of salt.
Roast it until it’s very soft, but not crisp around the edges. In my oven, it takes about an hour.
About half way through, take it out and add the chilli and a clove of garlic to your baking tray. Give everything a stir and place back in the oven.
Blitz it up
Once everything is roasted, leave it to cool.
Remove the garlic (leave it for later).
Blitz the chilli and squash together in a food processor. You might want to add the roasted the chilli a bit at a time. I find that a whole chilli makes it a bit too fiery for me.
Char your courgette and cabbage
Chop the courgette into rounds about half a centimetre thick
Cut the cabbage into thin strips
Place a griddle pan over very high heat
Once it’s hot, you can add your veg in batches. I don’t add any oil – I find that everything chars better without it. But you do need to keep an eye on it
Dress the veg with chilli and lemon juice
While the courgette and cabbage are still very hot, stir through the lemon juice and a pinch of salt
Prepare your other ingredients
Roughly chop the kalamata olives
Strip the thyme leaves from their sprigs
Toast your bread
When you're ready to eat, cut a thick slice of your bread
Drizzle it with olive oil
Place it on your griddle - on a medium heat this time - for 5 minutes or until golden brown on both sides (flip it half way through)
Rub the griddled toast with a little bit of your roasted garlic.
Assemble the sandwich
Spread your toasted bread with a thick layer of squash purée
Top with the lemony vegetables, a sprinkle of chopped olives and a few leaves of thyme
Enjoy!
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