We often crave healthy vegetables for dinner, and a bowl is a great alternative to a basic salad. The roasted butternut squash, sautéed Swiss chard, quinoa, and warm, spiced chickpeas make this extra filling. Dinner bowls need a bold dressing, and this lemon-tahini dressing passes the test!
Roasted Butternut Squash & Quinoa Bowl with a Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Makes 4 bowls
Ingredients:
1/2 large butternut squash
1/2 large red onion
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock (or substitute water with 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch Swiss chard, de-stemmed, stems sliced and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
Lemon-tahini dressing:
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons water (as needed to thin)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel and cube the butternut squash into 3/4-inch pieces. You should have about 4 cups of squash cubes. Peel and cut the onion in half vertically, then slice one of the halves horizontally, into semicircles. Place the squash and onions on a rimmed half sheet pan; drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat the pieces.
- Spread across the pan in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until the cubes are cooked through, and the edges begin to caramelize and turn brown. Remove and keep warm.
- Once the squash and onion are in the oven, cook the quinoa. Bring the vegetable broth or salted water to a boil, add the quinoa, cover, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Check after 15 minutes to see if all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Cover to keep warm.
- While the quinoa and vegetables cook, prepare the spiced chickpeas. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, chili powder, turmeric, salt and pepper. In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the drained chickpeas and toss to warm. Sprinkle with the spices, and cook, stirring continuously, until the chickpeas are slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- After the chickpeas have browned, remove from the pan. In the same sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the chard stems for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add the leaves and sauté until just wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- To assemble the bowls, divide squash and onion, quinoa, spiced chickpeas and sautéed chard between four bowls. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with a side of dressing and a garnish of cilantro leaves.
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