Try these delicious Vegan Black Bean Butternut Squash boats for a healthy, delicious, seasonal dish that’s quick and easy to whip up.
Cooking seasonally is one of the healthy choices we can make for ourselves, When you cook with the produce in season, the flavor and the nutrition profile of the dish is enhanced. You may ask why?
Seasonal Produce is Healthy
Seasonally produced fruit or the vegetable is allowed to naturally ripen on the vine and then harvested. Out of season produce is usually harvested, transported, artificially ripened and then being placed on shelves. Not only is seasonal produce cheaper since there are no transportation and storage costs involved, but the nutrition profile is enhanced as the produce is consumed soon after it is harvested. Talk about all the nutrients being preserved in the most freshest form, cheaper on the pocket, but the best in quality!
You also would know the source of the produce, which maybe from a local farm. Knowing where you produce or in general products comes with great power. It gives you the ability to inquire what sort of chemicals, pesticides are being sprayed on. The lesser or the better choices with regard to these aspects may influence your future purchase decisions.
Trying out Butternut Squash
I usually stick to the apples during apple picking season (duh!). But this time I decided to get some butternut squash too from the farm stand. This fruit usually intimidates me since it’s not familiar to an Indian like me. But therein lies the thrill was experimenting with a new vegetable.
Moreover, butternut squash is rich in nutrition. It is an abundant source of antioxidants like beta-carotene. This gives the fruit its bright color and reduces the risk of many diseases like cancer and heart disease. Read more about the benefits of adding this colorful fruit to your diet here
As I pondered ways to make this into a nutritious vegan dish, this idea of combining it with protein rich black beans seemed to make this dish even more balanced. The creaminess of the stuffing comes with the addition of coconut cream, a great alternative to animal fats.
To get that perfect dose of crunchiness, how about adding a few more healthy vegetables as crumbled chips?! These root vegetable chips I got from Trader Joe’s had those perfect fall colors, that are difficult to pass up. Or maybe some sautéed crunchy tofu? The choice is yours!
You can also add vegan cheese or shredded parmesan according to your preference. I also got this creamy spicy vegan cashew dressing from Trader Joe’s , which was a perfect addition to this dish.
Vegan Black Bean Butternut Squash Boats
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. of Himalayan sea salt (or to taste)
- dash of pepper powder
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 tsp. ginger garlic paste
- 2 small tomatoes finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp. red chilly powder
- 1/2 can of black beans (or 0.75 cups of cooked black beans)
- 3 tbsp. of thick coconut cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 ° F.
- Cut the butternut squash into 2 halves and place it on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Massage all over and bake until the flesh is tender. This would take almost 45 - 50 minutes depending on the size of the butternut squash.
- In the meantime, stuffing can be prepared. Heat up 1 tbsp. coconut oil in a pan.
- Add the finely chopped onions and stir fry on low medium heat about 4-5 minutes until the onions get wilted.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes in medium heat until the gravy thickens up.
- Next , add in the masala powders along with the salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the black beans, sauté for a 3-4 minutes in low heat or until the gravy gets thick
- Meanwhile scoop out the flesh from the baked squash leaving an ½ inch border along the edges. Save the filling.
- Stir in the scooped butternut squash flesh to the prepared gravy in the pan and warm for a few minutes. Use a masher to mash up the mixture. The mixture would be thick.
- Add in the coconut cream.
- Fill in the butternut squash bowls with the mixture.
- Preheat oven to 200° F and roast the stuffed squash for 3-4 minutes.
- Enjoy with toppings like creamy cashew dressing and crumbled root vegetable chips.
Notes
To reduce time, the freshly cut and seasoned squash can be microwaved for 5 minutes before placing in the oven to cook. This will reduce the cook time in the oven to 25 - 30 minutes.
Garnish with desired toppings and dressing. I prefer a crunch element, crumbled root vegetable chips adds a perfect healthy crunch element to the whole dish.
Planning on trying this recipe? Please post a comment to let us know if you like it!
If you loved the Vegan Butternut Squash Boats, I have another delicious, Fall-themed recipe for you. Do check out this yummy turkey meatball recipe.
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