Fresh and fragrant, this butternut squash noodles stir fry is loaded with plenty of flavorful veggies. A great option for those who need to eat gluten-free, or for those trying to eat a little more plant-based.
Jump to RecipeButternut squash and I have been having a love affair recently (and honestly, always, but who’s counting??). It’s just SO GOOD. Prepping butternut squash is one of my least favorite things to do though, so I love the fact that I can find frozen butternut squash spirals ready-to-go at the grocery store. It’s been so fun to experiment with using butternut squash in different dishes, including this one. This butternut squash noodles stir fry is gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and high in fiber.
There are just so many tasty veggies in this dish, the smells are INCREDIBLE. If you’ve never cooked with frozen butternut squash spirals before, you’ll want to keep them frozen and add them to the pan a bit separated from everything else. Once they thaw, their texture is pretty volatile, so they mush quite easily. If you’re concerned about this, you can cook the butternut squash first, remove it from the pan while you cook your veggies, and then add it back in. Personally, I prefer to just keep everything in the pan and risk it, but it’s totally up to you and what you feel most comfortable with!
In order for the butternut squash to fully thaw, you’ll need to cover the pan for a few minutes so the heat can circulate. It’s best to do this with just the noodles and carrots in the pan, as the other veggies can get too soft by doing this. Once your noodles are starting to look mostly thawed, add the bell pepper and onion and saute. Be careful not to touch the butternut squash too much. You will need to move it around a bit and flip it a bit for the noodles to thaw and separate, but you don’t want to touch it too much or it’ll mush into the rest of the veggies.
Once your butternut squash noodles are fully thawed, and your other veggies are almost tender, add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. At this point, very gently stir in the butternut squash noodles with the rest of the veggies. Be very careful, as they have a soft texture when thawed and will easily smash into the other veggies. Once all your veggies are fork-tender, remove the skillet from heat. Serve immediately, and garnish individual servings with green onion and peanuts.
If you try this recipe, please be sure to leave me your thoughts and a rating in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag me @HookomOnHealth and use the #HookomOnHealth so that I can see your creations online! Enjoy!
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Butternut Squash Noodles Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 12 oz frozen butternut squash noodles spiralized
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped into ~2" strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced into ~2-3" strips
- 1/2 medium yellow onion sliced into ~2-3" strips
- 4 oz baby bella or white mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts chopped
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add frozen butternut squash noodles to one half of the skillet and carrots to the other half. Cover for 3-5 minutes or until butternut squash noodles visibly start to thaw.
- Remove cover, add bell pepper and onion to the carrot side of the skillet and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Gently saute butternut squash noodles, being careful not to smash them into the other vegetables.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce and saute for another 1-2 minutes. At this point, you can gently mix the butternut squash noodles in with the vegetables, again being careful not to smash the noodles into the other vegetables. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
- Garnish individual servings with green onions and peanuts.
Notes
- Serve leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Boost up the protein content by adding some chicken, shrimp, tempeh, or your other favorite protein.
- If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, make sure the soy sauce you're using is certified gluten-free.