Couscous Stuffed Butternut Squash

5 from 1 vote

Perfect as a meal by itself or a side-dish, this butternut squash stuffed with tahini cous cous is a tasty comfort food dish suitable for a vegan diet. Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side dish.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, British

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Claire

Equipment

Skillet
Parchment paper
Small bowl

Ingredients

1 butternut squash medium size
½ white onion sliced and diced
½ red bell pepper diced
½ zucchini diced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon tahini
¼ cup couscous
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt
fresh parsley

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180C / 360F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the butternut squash in half lengthways and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Place on the baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Use a pastry brush to brush the oil over the surface of the squash. Bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on the size of the squash).
While the squash is cooking, slice and dice the onion, red bell peppers and zucchini.
In a little olive oil first fry the onion for 2-3 minutes until softened, and then add the other vegetables and cook for 5-6 minutes until they have also softened.
Make the cous cous by adding it to a small bowl with the dried basil and apple cider vinegar (if using) and pouring over boiling water. Cover with a plate. Leave for about 5 minutes and once cooked fluff up with a fork.
Remove the squash from the oven and slice around the edges leaving about ½ inch 'lip'. Scoop out the flesh of the squash, being careful not to pierce the bottom of the squash.
Add the vegetables and half the scooped out squash to the bowl with the couscous. Pour in the tahini and stir very throughly. Season with salt to taste. Add the couscous mixture to the squash and return to the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.
If you wish, make a simple tahini drizzle by combing 2 tablespoon of tahini with 5 tablespoon of water and stirring until it becomes creamy. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Use a pastry brush to coat the squash in olive oil before roasting in the oven.
Be careful not to pierce through the skin of the butternut squash when removing the flesh. Using a teaspoon is best in my experience.
Adjust the quantity of the couscous and vegetables slightly depending upon the size of the squash.
Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.

Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI), food compatibility list

All ingredients in this recipe score a '0' on the SIGHI scale, with the exception of:

tahini - sesame seeds score a '1';
apple cider vinegar scores a '1'.
couscous - wheat scores a '1' and has a ? as a liberator - you can change up for quinoa for a change!

Nutrition