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Roasted Butternut squash and Chickpea buddhabowl 1

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Buddha Bowl

A glorious plant-based buddha bowl featuring roasted butternut squash and chickpeas. Packed full of wholesome ingredients like courgettes, avocado and tomatoes, this buddha bowl makes an epic, nourishing lunch!

Butternut squash can be a pain in the neck to cook, can’t it?

It’s piercing that hard shell that does my head in. It’s usually a battle. You would find me in the kitchen wearing a bandana on my head, a sleeveless shirt and shorts. And all of my knives carefully laid out on my worktop, ready for battle.

45 minutes later,  sweating profusely and with one or more grazed fingers, I would have won the battle. But, I’d also be swearing never to peel another butternut squash and to buy the peeled, frozen variety to preserve my sanity.

However, when I compare the cost and quantity of frozen squash I get with its fresh counterpart, I realise it is a rip-off and end up buying fresh butternut squash. And the cycle repeats itself.

Yes, insanity!

I discovered recently that a potato peeler removes butternut squash skin very easily. And cutting through the flesh is effortless once the skin is off. So, if you’ve been battling butternut squash like me, get you a potato peeler and save the fight for something useful.

Nutritional Highlights of Butternut Squash and Chickpea Buddha Bowl

Butternut squash is a carotene-rich vegetable with protective effects against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It has a sweet flavour that is best appreciated when roasted. I love to toss butternut squash in heart-healthy olive oil, garlic, spices, salt and pepper then roast it in the oven for around 25 until it is golden brown.

You can enjoy it on its own, blitz it with coconutmilk or cream in a food processor to make a soup or enjoy it as a component of a buddha bowl as I’ve done.

My buddha bowl also contains steamed basmati rice, chickpea stew with courgettes, tomatoes and chilli, and half an avocado.

Despite containing 71g of carbohydrates per serving, this buddha bowl largely consists of slowly-digesting carbohydrates or low glycaemic index (GI) carbs. This means that it raises your blood sugar slowly.

This recipe is an excellent source of iron, providing 21% of the recommended intake. Infants under two years of age, teenage girls, women of childbearing age, pregnant women and the elderly have the highest risk of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, excessive menstrual bleeding, poor immunity, learning disabilities, low energy and poor physical performance.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Buddha Bowl 2

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Buddha Bowl

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  • Author: Somi
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 1
  • Category: Lunch / Dinner
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

A glorious plant-based buddha bowl featuring roasted butternut squash and chickpeas


Ingredients

Scale

For the Roasted Butternut Squash

  • 150g butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ras el hanout
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the chickpea stew

  • 120g cooked chickpeas
  • 100g cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 medium courgetted, diced
  • 1/2 red chilli, sliced
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 small vegetable stock cube
  • Handful coriander, leaves and stalkes separated then chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

To serve

  • 120g cooked basmati rice
  • 1/2 small avocado

Instructions

Line a baking tray with parchment paper then preheat the oven to 220C. Combine all the ingredients for the roasted squash and mix well. Carefully arrange the squash on the baking tray then bake for 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown, keep warm.

Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry shallots for 1 minute or until softened then add cherry tomatoes, ras el hanout, coriander stalks and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes then add cooked chickpeas, vegetable stock cube, chilli, and a tiny splash of water. Cook on a simmer for 6 minutes to allow the chickpeas soak up the flavour of the tomato sauce. After 3 minutes of cooking, add the courgettes.  Season with salt and pepper if needed then stir in the chopped coriander and take the pan off the heat.

Serve the chickpeas with steamed basmati rice, roasted squash and avocado. Garnish with extra fresh coriander if desired.


Notes

Swap white rice with quinoa or cauliflower rice for a lower GI or a lower carb meal.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 1
  • Calories: 484
  • Sugar: 13.3g
  • Sodium: 38.5mg
  • Fat: 14.4g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.5
  • Carbohydrates: 71g
  • Fiber: 13.4
  • Protein: 18g

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Buddha Bowl 2

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