This roasted acorn squash is stuffed with quinoa salad. It’s very easy to make, delicious and very filling.
Isn’t acorn squash beautiful? I just love the shape of it and the orange color makes it absolutely stunning. It’s really easy to style food like that. Make acorn squash for a dinner party and see how it will become the centerpiece of your dinner table.
Roasted acorn squash tastes great on its own or stuffed with a grain salad. It’s very nutritious and full of magnesium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber.
It might surprise you that acorn squash seeds are really tasty and make a perfect healthy snack.
Here is how you prepare the seeds: first, scoop the seeds out of the squash and separate them from the pulp, then spread them over a baking dish, put in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
And if you love quinoa, try these Quinoa Recipes.
Enjoy!
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Salad
This Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Salad is easy to make, healthy and delicious. I also show you how to roast the seeds for a healthy snack.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Acorn Squash:
- 2 acorn squashes, 1/2 per person
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 20 fresh mint leaves
For the Salad Dressing:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Wash the squash, pat them dry and cut each squash in half. Remove the seeds and set them aside. See the notes on how to prepare squash seeds.
- In a small bowl, mix the coconut oil, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice. Spread the mixture evenly over the squash halves.
- Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until the squash is soft. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.
- To make the quinoa salad, rinse the quinoa and soak it in cold water for 30 minutes to 4 hours. Drain and rinse well one more time. This will help to get rid of any left-over saponin residue (a natural insect repellent) that gives a bitter taste.
- Place the quinoa and 1 cup of water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and has absorbed all of the liquid.
- Place the cooked quinoa into a large bowl. Add the almonds, cranberries and mint leaves.
- To make the salad dressing, mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger and salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Scoop the quinoa salad into the squash halves and serve warm.
Notes
1. Squash seeds are very tasty too! To roast the seeds, preheat the oven to 375F. Separate the seeds from the pulp and spread them out on a baking sheet. Roast the seeds until they are dry and crunchy, for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1/4 of recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 556.1Total Fat 25.6gSaturated Fat 7.4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18.2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 50.1mgCarbohydrates 80.6gFiber 14.4gSugar 37.9gProtein 10.7g
Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.
Bonnie
Friday 3rd of October 2014
This recipe was excellent! I am making it a second time now. First time I didn't have mint, almond or cranberries and I used raisins, pine nuts and cilantro instead. Both ways are yummy!
Maria Ushakova
Sunday 5th of October 2014
Hey Bonnie! I am so glad you like my recipe! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Raisins, pine nuts and cilantro combination sounds yummy ;)