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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.
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.
Yes, the thin skin is edible! Not having to peel is a complete win in my books when it comes to 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:
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.
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Jessica
October 29, 2024
I made this recipe just as it was written and it was DELICIOUS!
Mary
November 7, 2023
This recipe has been a staple for us this fall! I like to serve with a wild rice blend, add pomegranate seeds, and sub the almonds with toasted pepitas. This recipe introduced me to red kuri squash and it’s now my absolute favorite.
Amanda Paa
November 7, 2023
That sounds like such a delicious meal! And colorful with the pomegranates!
Gail
October 29, 2023
I will make this recipe authentically one day soon, but tonight, a few variations will highlight the red kuri I just baked in halves, plus use up some kale mix and also some peanut sauce based dressing. I can’t decide which nut or seed to use — just today finished off my marcona almonds for a snack!
Nikolina
September 19, 2023
So good! Heathy, super yummy and easy to make! Will definitely make again. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Amanda Paa
September 20, 2023
So glad you enjoyed it!
Maria Lantin
November 23, 2022
Delicious and simple! I ended up having to broil for 5 minutes or so at the end to get a bit of a caramelized flavor. I also roasted the thick seeds with masala spice.
Amanda Paa
November 25, 2022
Glad you enjoyed it, Maria!
Dr. Klara Brown
September 28, 2022
I LOVED this recipe so much I decided to share it with my patients for a seasonal eastern nutritional treat that’s hormone healthy. The lemony tahini flavors with the kuri squash were absolutely divine!
Amanda Paa
September 29, 2022
Yay! So glad you liked it. And thank you for sharing it with others.
Patricia
August 16, 2022
I can’t eat nightshades so the harissa/cayenne is out. Would you suggest mustard powder? Or wasabi powder?
Amanda Paa
August 16, 2022
Hello! I would actually suggest a bit of crushed dried thyme and rosemary instead. Will still be delicious!
Ruby
October 8, 2018
Oh yes, these are all of the flavors that I love. I could drink that sauce with a spoon! xx