Orange Couscous Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash is piled high with orange-spiced couscous in this vegetarian centerpiece.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 616kcal
Ingredients
For the acorn squash
- 2 medium acorn squash
- olive oil, salt, and pepper
- 1 large navel orange juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
For the filling
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
- 1 small sweet yellow onion
- 1 medium orange bell pepper
- 2 large carrots
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt more as needed
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 inch ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry couscous
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 medium lemon juiced and zested
Instructions
For the squash
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the acorn squash in half from stem to tip. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and stringy bits. Drizzle each squash half with enough oil to coat, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place cut-side down on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Roast at 400F for 35 minutes, or until tender and golden.
- In a small bowl, whisk together half of the orange juice (about 2 tablespoons) and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Drizzle this over the inside of the squash, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes to roast cut-side facing up.
For the couscous
- While the squash roasts, prep the veggies: Dice the onion and pepper and peel and dice the carrots. Roughly chop the walnuts and mince the ginger and garlic.
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, pepper, and salt. Saute until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the walnuts, ginger, garlic, and cumin seed. Continue sauteing until aromatic, another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then stir in the couscous. Cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the couscous is hydrated. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in the feta and orange zest.
- While the couscous cooks, finely chop the pistachios. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the pistachios. Saute until toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and in a small bowl, whisk together with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice and zest of a lemon, and a pinch of salt.
- Distribute the couscous filling between the roasted acorn squash halves, then top each serving with the pistachio-parsley topping. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Protein options: To add protein, stir in a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas after cooking the couscous.
To make in advance:
- Couscous filling: This can be prepped up to 48 hours in advance. Note that couscous tends to clump up, so make sure to fluff it well with a fork before refrigerating. Reheats well in the microwave.
- Acorn squash: This can be sliced up to 48 hours in advance. It can be roasted up to 24 hours in advance, then wrapped in foil and reheated at 350F until hot throughout, about 15-20 minutes.
- Pistachio topping: I recommend prepping this no more than a day in advance, as the parsley wilts and browns over time.
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 633mg | Potassium: 1425mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8462IU | Vitamin C: 102mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 5mg
