Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Tahini Sauce and Kale

A healthy recipe for red kuri squash, tossed with shredded kale and a delicious lemon tahini sauce. Red Kuri squash, also known as orange Hokkaido pumpkin doesn’t have to be peeled before roasting, and the skin is edible! Add almonds for a bit of crunch, and serve this dish as a main or a side dish for Thanksgiving.

Don’t get me wrong, I love well known types of squash like butternut and acorn. But there’s a whole world of other varieties that I think deserve your love and attention, like red kuri! And roasted sweet dumpling squash, a sweet and nutty variety with creamy flesh.

What does red kuri squash taste like?

Red kuri squash was the focus of an entire section in my cookbook. And for good reason – it’s one of absolute favorites in the winter squash family. This glowing orange, tear dropped shaped variety has a savory-sweet, buttery flavor, that gets even richer as it roasts.

In this fall side dish recipe (it doesn’t hinge on the greens), the roasted red kuri with its golden flesh, is the star!

With supporting roles coming from:

a tangle of massaged kale,
a creamy coating of lemon tahini sauce,
crunchy bursts from heirloom marcona almonds,
and a smoky dusting of harissa spice.

Another healthy recipe that incorporates winter squash is this Wild Rice & Butternut Squash Salad with Maple Vinaigrette.

Can you eat the skin of red kuri squash?

Yes, the thin skin is edible! Not having to peel is a complete win in my books when it comes to squash.

How to cut red kuri squash:

One of the reasons I love to cook with red kuri squash is because you don’t have to peel it! The skin softens beautifully in the oven and is edible.

So all you need to do is scoop out the seeds and cut it into wedges.
To do this:

• Cut both tail ends of the squash off, the stem and the butt. Now it will sit flat, and you’ll cut it in half vertically.
• To slice each half into wedges, put it on a cutting board, with the cut side down and the skin side should be closest to you, what you’ll be cutting through.
• Then use a sharp knife to cut it into 1/2 inch wedges.

I’ll probably make this roasted red kuri squash recipe most often as a side dish for gatherings, but we found it worked as main-course material too! To make things easy for entertaining, you can prepare the components a day ahead of time, then toss together up to an hour before serving

It’s deceptively filling and satisfying. In fact, we ate it two days in a row for lunch.

More Winter Squash Recipes:

• Garlic Herb Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Sheet Pan Vegetarian Stuffing with Delicata Squash
• Mashed Acorn Squash with Maple Walnuts

Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Tahini Sauce and Kale

A delicious autumn side dish with roasted red kuri squash tossed in a lemon tahini sauce and massaged kale. No need to peel the squash, the skin of red kuri is edible!

4.58 from 38 votes

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Prep Time :15 minutes minutes

Cook Time :35 minutes minutes

Total Time :50 minutes minutes

Yield: 5 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

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Ingredients

• 1 medium sized red kuri squash, cut in half vertically and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 head of curly kale, de-stemmed and sliced into very thin pieces
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon harissa powder, or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup roasted marcona almonds or cashews, coarsely chopped

Lemon Tahini Sauce

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup hot water

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Cut squash in vertical pieces, about 1/2 inch thick. Place in a baking dish and coat with olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Bake squash for 30-35 minutes, turning once, until squash is tender. 
• Meanwhile, massage kale for 5 minutes with hands, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, harissa, and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside.
• Whisk all sauce ingredients together, and set aside. 
• When all components are ready, add to a large bowl. Pour sauce over the top, and gently toss and coat with your hands. Plate, and sprinkle with flaky salt.