Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Bowl

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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Whisk the dressing ingredients until well combined.
  8. 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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