Recipe by Bella at Nutri-belle

Serves 4 big portions

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ cup red lentils
1 small aubergine, diced
1 courgette, diced
1 small butternut squash (I use about 250g of the frozen chunks)
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
Zest & juice of 2 lemons
Around 14 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tbsp raisins or sultanas and desiccated coconut for sprinkling!
Melt the oil in a pan and slowly cook the red onion and garlic in a pinch of salt. Once soft, add the harissa and spices and cook out a bit so you can smell the spices. Then add the lentils, aubergine, courgette, squash and chickpeas and mix well to coat in the spices.

Add the tins of tomatoes and a splash or two of water to loosen, then leave to simmer for 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally. Check that the lentils and squash are cooked, give them a little longer if needed and add more water if it’s looking parched.

Towards the end of cooking, add in the lemon zest and juice and the cherry tomatoes. At this point, you could add in an express bag of rice or quinoa and stir to heat through, but it’s quite hefty without the extra carbs!
Serve with the raisins and coconut for a lovely hint of sweetness.

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