Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowl

This butternut squash quinoa bowl is sweet and savory with turmeric roasted chickpeas and a delicious pumpkin peanut sauce.

Please note there are Amazon affiliate links in this post.  While the cost to you is the same, I do earn a small commission on any sales made through the links in this post.  I would never recommend anything that I don’t believe in–thank you for your support!

This bowl just screams fall to me and I am HERE for it.  It’s sweet and savory with a multitude of good flavors and fun textures.  Seriously, this is not a boring bowl by any stretch of the imagination.  This recipe was first developed live on stream for one of my regular Monday Secret Ingredient Streams over on Twitch.  It turned out so well and was so pretty that I absolutely had to recreate it and share it with you!

The first thing you have to do, is prep the butternut squash and red cabbage.  I swear, butternut squash is one of the most frustrating things to prepare, but the payoff is SO worth it.

Then, toss the butternut squash with olive oil, ground cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon.  Spread them evenly on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  Stir halfway through for even browning.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat them dry.  You want to make sure they’re mostly dry so that they’re able to roast evenly and get nice and crunchy.  Then, toss them with olive oil, and ground turmeric.  Spread them evenly onto another baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until golden-brown and crispy.  Stir halfway through for even browning.

While the butternut squash and chickpeas are roasting, bring your quinoa and 2 cups of water up to a boil on the stove.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until quinoa is tender and all of the water has been absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and set aside.

While the quinoa is simmering, make the pumpkin peanut sauce.  In a small bowl, whisk together all the pumpkin peanut sauce ingredients until well combined.  If the pumpkin peanut sauce is too thick for your liking, add more water to thin it out.

Once everything is cooked and ready to go, it’s time to build the bowl!  Layer individual bowls with quinoa, butternut squash, red cabbage, and roasted turmeric chickpeas.  Drizzle liberally with pumpkin peanut sauce and enjoy!

If you try this recipe, please be sure to leave 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!

Please note there are Amazon affiliate links in this post.  While the cost to you is the same, I do earn a small commission on any sales made through the links in this post.  I would never recommend anything that I don’t believe in–thank you for your support!

Print Recipe

Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowl

This butternut squash quinoa bowl is sweet and savory with turmeric roasted chickpeas and a delicious pumpkin peanut sauce.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Gluten-free, Grain Bowl, Plant-based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: butternut squash, butternut squash quinoa bowl, chickpeas, gluten-free, peanut sauce, plant-based, pumpkin peanut sauce, quinoa, red cabbage, turmeric chickpeas, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 4 people

Author: Amanda Hookom @HookomOnHealth

Ingredients

For the butternut squash:

• 2 lb butternut squash (about 6 cups) peeled and chopped into ~1" pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the chickpeas:

• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

For the rest of the bowl:

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups red cabbage shredded

For the pumpkin peanut sauce:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats, parchment paper, or foil.
• Toss butternut squash with olive oil, ground cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until golden-brown and can be pierced easily with a fork. Stir halfway through for even browning.
• Toss chickpeas with olive oil and ground turmeric. Spread evenly onto second baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until golden-brown and crispy. Stir halfway through for even browning.
• While butternut squash and chickpeas are roasting, place quinoa and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin peanut butter sauce ingredients until well combined.
• Once everything is cooked, layer individual bowls with quinoa, roasted butternut squash, red cabbage, and roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with pumpkin peanut sauce and serve.

Notes

• Change it up by using an acorn squash or pumpkin instead of butternut squash.
• If the pumpkin peanut sauce is too thick for your liking, add more water to thin it out.
• For the best leftover experience, store butternut squash and quinoa in a separate airtight glass container from the pumpkin peanut sauce.  The red cabbage can be stored in a separate silicone storage bag in the refrigerator.  Chickpeas can be stored in a silicone storage bag at room temperature.  Store all leftovers for up to 3-5 days.