Roasted butternut squash with crunchy chick peas and smoked paprika tofu dip. The easiest and tastiest way to roast a butternut squash! Vegan & gluten-free.
Butternut squash is another autumn vegetable that deserves your attention right now. Don’t miss it because it’s sweet, nutty, extremely orange, rich in vitamins A, E, C, fibre, good for your health and looks funny.
It pairs well with garlic, chilli, coriander, thyme, ginger, rosemary and parsley. You can experiment with different flavors but I’ve chosen rosemary and garlic and I must say it was a very very good combo. Butternut squash is so buttery soft that I decided to add some crunch to it. So I roasted it with chick peas and prepared a tofu dip. It came out very delicious and wholesome, as well as vegan, low fat, paleo, gluten free, low carb and everything. This dish is something you should try to make this autumn. It is probably the easiest way to roast a butternut squash. No peeling, no dicing, just cut it in halves and give it some flavor with garlic, bay leaves and rosemary. You can roast chick peas at the same time in the oven with a bit of olive oil and my favorite smoked paprika,which I couldn’t resist to add because it gives such an amazing smoky flavor to the dish. One look is worth a thousand words. Check the recipe below and enjoy your butternut squash before the season is over!
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash with Chick Peas and Tofu Dip
Roasted Butternut Squash with Chick Peas
Ingredients
For the butternut squash and chick peas:
- 1 medium-sized butternut squash
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 200 grams or 1 cup chick peas
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt
- black pepper
For the dip:
- 200 grams or 7 oz tofu
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 150 ml or 2/3 cup water
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch aof cayenne pepper
- black pepper
- salt
- leaves arugula to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 ºC or 350 ºF.
- Cut the butternut squash in halves lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Make cross-shaped cuts half way through the flesh and place the halves on a baking dish as shown above. Chop garlic and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle the butternut squash with 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put bay leaves on top. Roast for 45-50 minutes or until soft.
- Put chick peas in a separate backing dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crispy.
- Blend together diced tofu, lemon juice, chopped garlic, olive oil, water, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and a pinch of salt. If you want it to be more liquid, add a bit of water.
- Serve butternut squash halves with the dip and crispy chick peas. Garnish with arugula leaves (optional). Enjoy!
What is your favorite way to cook butternut squash? Leave a comment below!
Love, Elena
Julia Roberts says
Wow, this looks perfect. I am going to try this now.
Elena Szeliga says
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it!