Gluten and Soy Free Recipes for Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts

Harissa Roasted Winter Squash with Mint

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

You don’t have to stick with typical winter squash soups this season. This Roasted Winter Squash recipe jazzes it up with the use of spicy Harissa seasoning. It’s an easy and simple recipe that will keep you comforted all Winter long. 

CLICK “JUMP TO RECIPE” (DIRECTLY BELOW THE TITLE OF THIS POST) TO SKIP THE BLOG POST AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE RECIPE!  YOU’LL MISS OUT ON HELPFUL TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE THOUGH.

Roasted winter squash and red onions roasted on a baking pan
Roasted winter squash with mint sauce in a bowl on a table

There are so many different things you can do with winter squash, and when paired with Harissa seasoning, the possibilities become endless. This winter squash recipe roasted with corn is perfect over a salad topped with my homemade mint sauce! You can also serve this over quinoa or rice! 

WHAT IS HARISSA?

Harissa is typically a thick paste used in North African cuisines made with garlic, chiles, spices, and other good stuff. I first discovered it when I was learning how to cook Moroccan food. 

In this roasted winter squash recipe, I use a dry harissa spice mix that I purchased from my farmers’ market. Amazon has several harissa pastes, and seasonings so order this online if you can’t find it in a grocery store near you. 

TYPES OF WINTER SQUASH TO USE

Well, first, let me briefly explain what winter squash is. Botanically a fruit (all squash are fruits), winter squash does not grow in the Winter.  

They grow slowly during late summer and harvest in the Fall. Their thick skin is thick, allowing that rind to be stored and enjoyed for the Winter. Examples include acorn, butternut, pumpkin, and delicata. 

This Roasted Winter squash recipe is versatile in that it will work with any winter squash you choose, but what I recommend is using butternut squash. 

Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter squashes to cook for the following reasons: 

  • It’s readily available: Out of all the squashes, butternut squash is typically easier to find in most areas.
  • It has a hit of sweetness: While not overly sweet like a sweet potato, it has just the right amount of subtle sweetness that carmelizes beautifully when roasted.
  • It pairs well Harissa Spice: Remember that sweetness I just mentioned above? Well, harissa’s heat pairs super well with butternut squash for that very reason. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS ROASTED WINTER SQUASH RECIPE

1. Make Sauce & Cut Vegetables

  • First, make your mint dressing in a blender and set aside.
  • Cut your squash and onions and add them to a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings.
  • adding garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt to blender
    1
  • oil, lemon juice, harissa seasoning, mustard, & mint being blended into a sauce
    2
  • adding olive oil to chopped butternut squash and onions on roasting pan
    3
  • add harissa seasonings to cut butternut squash and chopped onions on roasting pan
    4

2. Toss Vegetables in Seasoning & Bake

  • Toss well to make sure your vegetables are fully coated with the oil and seasonings. Add to oven and bake until squash is fork-tender.
  • vegetables being mixed with olive oil mixture and seasonings
    5

3. Pour Mint Sauce Over Vegetables

  • Once your vegetables are fully roasted, immediately add your mint dressing.
  • Toss well fully coating your vegetables and serve with rice, quinoa, or a salad!
  • pouring mint sauce over roasted squash in a pan
    6
  • roasted squash being toss with mint dressing in roasted baking pan
    7

TIPS FOR MAKING ROASTED WINTER SQUASH

Roasting squash is the tastiest way to eat them. Below are some tips for making roasting your winter squash easier (and a success). 

  • Use Frozen Squash: I used frozen butternut squash in this recipe as sometimes fresh squash can be tough to cut open.
  • Use Oil: It helps keeps your winter squash moist and ensures the harissa seasoning is thoroughly coated.
  • Bake Uncovered: I baked this recipe uncovered the entire time. You can cover for the majority of roasting if you like, but for the last 5 to 10 minutes, be sure to uncover so that you get good caramelization on your butternut squash. 
  • Use Parchment Paper: The best tip of all is to bake on parchment paper for easy cleanup!

HEALTH BENEFITS:

Squash is a great food to eat often. Particularly Butternut Squash has a high carotenoid content, which is an antioxidant your body uses to convert into Vitamin A. 

Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant essential for good skin and vision. Plus, butternut squash is high in fiber, making it excellent for your digestion. 

***NOTE: This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  All information contained in this blog is the opinion of Monique and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.

overhead view of harissa roasted winter squash with mint sauce on a baking pan

RECENT POSTS

  • pinterest graphic of one carnita filled poblano pepper on a plate ate into with a fork and knife on the plate
  • Pinterest graphic of close up picture of the vegan kimchi soup in a blue bowl
  • pinterest graphic of potato salad on a blue plate mixed with tamarind sauce
  • Pinterest graphic of sunflower vegan protein smoothie in a glass on a table

Save the recipe on Pinterest to Make Later!

Pinterest graphic of winter roasted squash and red onions roasted on a baking pan

Join over 20,000 Daytime Vegan Tribe Members on Instagram!

Also stay in touch by joining me on Pinterest, Youtube, and Facebook

Don’t Know Where To Start On Your Healthy Journey?  Download My Free Meal Plan & Healthy Eating Guide!

Daytime Vegan Free Meal Plan and Guide
Roasted winter squash and red onions roasted on a baking pan

Harissa Roasted Winter Squash

Easy winter recipe

Print
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Keyword roasted butternut squash, roasted winter squash, winter squash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 314 kcal
Author Daytime Vegan

Ingredients

Squash:

  • 1 butternut squash, about 4 cups, peeled & chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 red onion, cut into chunks
  • 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa seasoning or harissa paste
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • Salt to taste

Mint Sauce:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon sweetener of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
  • 18 mint sprigs
  • ½ teaspoon harissa seasoning or paste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Place all of the ingredients for the squash on a baking pan and mix. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender, but not mushy.
  3. While the squash is cooking, mix the first 5 ingredients for the Mint Sauce in a blender and blend well. Add the mint and harissa and pulse until little green specs of mint are seen throughout the sauce.
  4. When the squash is fresh from the oven and still hot put the sauce over it. You can use as mush sauce as you’d like. I didn’t use all of it and had a couple of tablespoons left over, which I used as a vinaigrette for a salad.
  5. Serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you cannot find harissa seasoning then try it with just the curry powder and lemon pepper.

Nutrition Facts
Harissa Roasted Winter Squash
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 314 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 84mg4%
Potassium 763mg22%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 20163IU403%
Vitamin C 44mg53%
Calcium 114mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
 

Author:
Filed Under: Dinner

72 thoughts on “Harissa Roasted Winter Squash with Mint”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Chef Monique Starks Daytime Vegan

 

My name is Monique and welcome to Daytime Vegan! I am a chef & health mentor. I create delicious global inspired vegan recipes to encourage you to eat more plant-based foods, even if you’re not 100% vegan!

I started this lifestyle in order to heal my disease, Endometriosis, and my Ovarian Cysts.
Adding more whole plant foods to my diet, & decreasing the amount of meat & processed foods I consume, was the best decision I could have made for my health. Daytime Vegan focuses on nutrition, not calories. Consuming mostly Whole Plant Foods on a daily basis is key to good health.

Learn more in the ABOUT Section.

Instagram

  • Lentil Curry⁣ -⁣ These are Ethiopian inspired lentils. I am still perfecting my Ethiopian lentil recipe, so this is not on the blog, but I will let you all know when it's on there.⁣ -⁣ I'm super hard on myself when it comes to making Ethiopian Lentils because there's a restaurant in Atlanta called Desta Ethiopian Kitchen and they make the BEST lentils in America! I am determined to get my lentils to taste almost as good as theirs, if not AS good! I'm always comparing mine to theirs (even though I shouldn't because mine really are good), so I'm never satisfied! I'll get it one day.⁣ -⁣ Any of you ever been to @destaethiopiankitchen ?!
  • Jajangmyeon | Rice Noodles with an AMAZING Chinese-Korean Black Bean Sauce and Vegetables.⁣ -⁣ Rice noodles are coated in a rich delicious sauce of korean black bean paste mixed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, a little coconut aminos (or soy sauce if you're not soy-intolerant), & ginger all tossed with yummy vegetables!⁣ -⁣ Recipe on daytimevegan.com, just do a search for it!⁣ -
  • Making some Sweet Potato Risotto today. Last year, I learned how to make risotto in a pressure cooker and it was hands down one of the best things i discovered that year.⁣ -⁣ For those who do not know, traditional risotto is a time-consuming dish to make that requires good technique to get it just perfect. Many people cheat and add cream to their risotto to make it creamy, but cream should not be added. You have to keep stirring the risotto while it cooks, add more stock, stir, add stock, stir, and so on. The starch from the short grain rice releases and makes the dish super creamy.⁣ -⁣ An Italian might want to fight me for making risotto this way! It's definitely not the traditional method, but if you have a pressure cooker, or maybe even an instant pot, then try making risotto in it!⁣ -
  • Tahini Vanilla Bean Ice Cream topped with Shaved Vegan Chocolate, Pepitas, and Raisins⁣ -⁣ I accidentally discovered that tahini and raisins taste great together when making this ice cream. I needed some toppings for the photograph and all I had was chocolate, pepitas, & raisins, so I said "eh, why not". It was amazing! So yea...tahini and raisins are a thing now. Give this a try!⁣ -⁣ Recipe is on the blog, just do a search for Tahini Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
  • Peach Apple Green Smoothie⁣ -⁣ Frozen peaches, fresh apples, a hint of lime juice, water, and a handful of kale are blended to make a refreshing smoothie! I put ice in this smoothie because sometimes I love when they are super cold, particularly after my workout!
  • Eggplant & Cabbage Stew⁣ -⁣ Tomatoes, onion, and garlic cooked in olive oil with oregano, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt. Then I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, stirred everything, added a little vegetable stock and simmered on low for about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.⁣ -⁣ Next, add the eggplant and cabbage (use any vegetables you want if you don't like eggplant or cabbage) and cook until the eggplant is tender. Finish with a few fresh herbs like parsley, or maybe even a few sprigs of mint if you want to be adventurous!⁣ -⁣ Some other veggies that could be used in this recipe are zucchini, yellow squash, kale, spinach, white beans, chopped butternut squash, or bell peppers. The next time I make this, I'll probably use kale and white beans!⁣ -⁣ This recipe is not on the blog, but if you're a cook who doesn't need exact measurements then give this a try!⁣ -

Follow Me!

Daytime Vegan Free Meal Plan and Guide

Meal Planning and my list of Kitchen Essentials keep me on track. Use these freebies to get  started on your healthy journey!

Copyright © 2020 Kale Pro