• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fit Mitten Kitchen

balanced baking and real food recipes

Subscribe to receive my FREE Healthy Nut Butter eBook!
Free eBook!
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
        • Egg Dishes
        • Oatmeal & Granola
        • Pancakes & Waffles
        • Scones
        • Smoothies
      • Desserts
        • Bars & Brownies
        • Cakes & Cupcakes
        • Candy
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
        • PIes, Tarts & Crisps
        • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Healthy Drinks
      • Lunch & Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Bowls
        • Salads
        • Sandwiches & Wraps
        • Sides
        • Soups & Chili
      • Snacks
        • Bars & Balls
        • Muffins & Breads
        • Nut & Seed Butters
    • Dietary
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • No Added Sugar
      • Nut-Free
      • Oil-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Method
      • Food Processor & Blender
      • Freezer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • No-Bake
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Protein
      • Chicken
      • Plant Based
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Recipe Videos
  • About
    • Meet Ashley
    • Work with Me
      • Partnerships
    • Contact
  • Lifestyle
    • Real Talk
    • Travel
    • Workouts
  • Shop
Home Recipes Course Lunch & Dinner Bowls Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy Free V Vegan NF Nut-Free

Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:10/2/19
Updated:11/10/21
acorn squash bowls pinterest
acorn squash bowls pinterest

You are going to LOVE these Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls. Packed with so much goodness like kale, quinoa, roasted chickpeas and red onion – tons of flavor and texture. Vegan, gluten-free and great for meal prep or a healthy dinner!

acorn squash nourish bowl pinterest this recipe

So I admit it has been quite a long time since I’ve shared a fresh new healthy power bowl recipe here on FMK. It’s never my intention to go this long without sharing a savory dish but sometimes (often times) it happens!

We’re in fall baking mode over here, and I’m having a hard time cooling it on all of the apple and pumpkin recipes.

Thankfully, my friend Nikole over at Healthnut Nutrition has an amazing new cookbook out and has inspired me to get back to making some real meals!

HealthNut Cookbook

I’m sharing one of Nikole’s delicious recipes from her cookbook, these Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls.

up close image of roasted acorn squash with chickpeas and dressing in bowl

Nikole also has an awesome YouTube Channel and website that you must check out. She is a great resource when it comes to finding balanced and healthy real food meals.

I know you love bowls as much as I do and I knew I needed to share this recipe with you.

Nourish bowls – Also known as, “power bowls”, “buddha bowls”, “macro bowls” – are so easy to make, perfect for meal prep and customizable to your liking.

Ingredients needed for Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls

  • acorn squash
  • chickpeas
  • red onion
  • kale
  • cooked quinoa
roasted chickpeas and acorn squash on baking sheets

And for toppings we’re adding ingredients like:

  • avocado – always love avocado in nourish bowls
  • pomegranate seeds – I had to sub dried cranberries
  • alfalfa sprouts – my store was fresh out so not pictured here
  • maple tahini dressing – If you haven’t gotten on the “Tahini Train” yet, trust me it’s so good and this dressing is a great place to start!
HealthNut Cookbook with nourish bowls

Flipping through Nikole’s cookbook made me want to run to the grocery store and stock up on all of the healthy things!

With how much travel both Drew and I have been doing the past couple of months, I’ve been in a serious dinner rut. But the HealthNut Cookbook is inspiring me to get back into the habit of actually cooking for us again! I can’t wait to explore more recipes.

Even I need some inspiration and don’t feel like doing all of the legwork when it comes to figuring out dinner time.

If you’re feeling the same, there’s nothing like getting a new cookbook to get you feeling inspired and excited to get back into the kitchen with a fresh set of eyes (err stomach?).

How to make Nourish Bowls with Roasted Acorn Squash & Chickpeas

how to make acorn squash nourish bowls

Preparing the Acorn Squash

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line 2 medium sized baking sheets with parchment paper – these will be for the squash, chickpeas and red onion.

Prepare the squash by cutting off the ends and cutting crosswise down the middle. Then scoop out the seeds and slice into 1/4″ thick little crescents. Don’t worry about removing the skin – it softens while baking!

TIP: if you don’t have super sharp knives, let the squash warm up in a preheating oven for about 5 minutes. This should help make it easier to cut.

Then you’ll place the crescents on the baking sheet and cover with oil, a little salt, pepper and paprika.

Preparing the Chickpeas & Onion

I used canned chickpeas here, which you’ll drain and roll between two tea towels to get as dry as possible. If you haven’t done this before, you’ll notice little skins coming off. You can discard these.

I’ll admit that roasting chickpeas is one of those things that I kind of don’t love doing, BUT I always love when they’re done. Roasted, crunchy chickpeas on salads and power bowls like this recipe are one of my favorite things.

Once your chickpeas are dry, place them on the other baking sheet along with the quartered red onion. Cover in oil, salt, pepper and and a little paprika and roll around with your hands to work the oil in.

Then you’ll place both pans in the oven and rotate through the racks during the baking time until the squash is soft and chickpeas are golden.

Massaging the kale and making the quinoa

Meanwhile, you can prepare the kale by removing the stems, massaging olive oil into the leaves with your fingers and thumbs, along with cooking the quinoa if you haven’t prepared it ahead of time.

Assembling the Nourish Bowls

All that’s left now is to assemble the bowls by adding your kale and quinoa into the bottom of the bowl, then adding the roasted squash and chickpeas, top with avocado, alfalfa sprouts, pomegranate seeds and the delicious maple tahini dressing.

up close image of roasted acorn squash with chickpeas and dressing in bowl

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review below! It helps others learn more about the recipe, too! Xx Ashley

Print

Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowl

roasted acorn squash bowls with tahini dresing
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

You are going to LOVE these Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowls. Packed with tons of flavor and texture. Vegan, gluten-free and great for meal prep or a healthy dinner!

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 bowls 1x
  • Category: entree
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: Buddha Bowls

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 small acorn squash
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided 
  • Sea salt and pepper

  • 1 red onion, quartered

  • 1 can (14 ounces/398 mL) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1⁄2 cups cooked chickpeas) 
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon sweet paprika

  • 4 cups tightly packed stemmed and chopped kale

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
  • Sea salt and pepper

  • 3 cups Fluffy Cooked Quinoa 

Toppings 

  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced 
  • 2 cups alfalfa sprouts

  • 1⁄4 cup pomegranate seeds

  • 1 batch Maple Tahini Dressing*

Instructions

 

  1. Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. Prepare the squash: Cut off the ends of the squash. Halve the squash and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice the squash crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-thick crescents. Arrange the slices in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil, sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and massage the oil and seasonings over the squash. 

  3. Prepare the onion & chickpeas: On the second prepared baking sheet, place the onion and chickpeas and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil and sprinkle with paprika and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Massage the oil and seasonings over the onion wedges and chickpeas.
  4. Slide both baking sheets in the oven and roast, for 15 minutes. Turn the squash and stir the onion and chickpeas, switching sheets on racks, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and fork-tender. 

  5. Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the kale, olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Massage the kale with your hands for 30 seconds to soften. 

  6. Assemble the bowls: Divide the Fluffy Cooked Quinoa among 4 bowls (about
3⁄4 cup per bowl). Top with squash slices, kale, and the onion and chickpea mixture. Top with avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with Maple Tahini Dressing and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container, without toppings, for up 
to 3 days. 

 

Notes

I could not find pomegranates at my local grocery store so I subbed with dried cranberries! 

Nikole’s dressing recipe can be found in her cookbook. I have a similar one that can be found here.

Prep quinoa according to package instructions. You’ll need to prepare 1 cup of dry, uncooked quinoa.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4 bowls
  • Calories: 766
  • Sugar: 4
  • Sodium: 386
  • Fat: 21
  • Saturated Fat: 2
  • Unsaturated Fat: 16
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 121
  • Fiber: 19
  • Protein: 28
  • Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: nourish bowls, power bowls, roasted acorn squash, vegan buddha bowls

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @fitmittenkitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #fitmittenkitchen

Don’t forget to check out Nikole’s HealthNut Nutrition Cookbook – HERE.

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

cold brew smoothie in glass with metal straw
Previous Post
Maca Mocha Cold Brew Smoothie
ç
Next Post
Healthier Chocolate Layer Cake

Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

More...

31 Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

baked gingerbread bundt cake

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

bowl of pear salad with fresh pomegranates and candied pecans and orange poppyseed dressing jar

Pomegranate Pear Salad

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

overhead view of honey glazed carrots on rectangle baking dish with fresh thyme

Honey Glazed Carrots

stacked gingerbread truffles on green plate next to red gingerbread cookie cutter and red towel in background

Easy Gingerbread Truffles

pieces of cranberry orange baked oatmeal on oval plate

Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal

mocha mini cheesecake with whipped topping on black plate and dessert forks

Mini Mocha Cheesecakes

Free recipe ebook!

Subscribe and get a FREE healthy nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
Trending Now
butternut squash, feta and kale salad in bowl Lunch & Dinner
chai latte in mug with cinnamon and star anise Cozy Drinks
banana peanut butter cinnamon rolls on small white plates with banana slices Cinnamon Rolls
As Featured On
  • Browse by Diet
  • Gluten-Free
  • Dairy Free
  • Vegan
  • Paleo
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
Exclusive Member of Mediavine· © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Back to Top

Subscribe & receive a free nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
854 shares