Description
A hearty and flavorful dish featuring roasted butternut squash halves filled with a savory mixture of grains, vegetables, and herbs—perfect as a main or side dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 large butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa or rice
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils or black beans
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brush the cut sides of the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place them cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 40-45 minutes until tender.
- While the squash is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add cooked quinoa (or rice), lentils (or beans), cranberries, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Remove squash from oven and let cool slightly. Scoop out a bit of the flesh to make room for stuffing, and mix the scooped squash into the filling.
- Stuff the squash halves with the filling mixture and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- You can prepare the filling a day in advance.
- Swap quinoa for couscous or wild rice for variety.
- Vegan cheese can be added on top before final baking for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed half
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
