Name: Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Buddha Bowls
Ingredients: 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; 1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced; 2 cups alfalfa sprouts; 1⁄4 cup pomegranate seeds; 1 batch Maple Tahini Dressing*

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!

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!

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

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.

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

How to Make…

Roasted Acorn Squash Nourish Bowl

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!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Rate

Scale

Ingredients

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

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.
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.  
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.
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.  
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.  
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.