Share

Tweet

Pin

I absolutely love to pair the gentle sweetness of winter squash with savory, spicy, and tangy accompaniments. Plus, many types of winter squash turn into their own serving vessel. It’s pretty much an ideal food. In the past I’ve shared chili-stuffed acorn squash and pizza-stuffed spaghetti squash. Today I’m rounding out this blog’s stuffed squash trio with Cajun red bean stuffed delicata squash. (The word ‘stuffed’ is already starting to sound weird in my head…)

Have you gotten to try delicata squash before? It’s a squash of minimal prep work and great returns. You can eat the entire skin (and it crisps up deliciously), so there’s no need to peel it. The flavor isn’t a lot different from other winter squash, so you’ll like it if you like butternut! It also seems to grow prolifically, at least if our CSA is any indication. At one of our recent pickups we received 1 acorn squash, 1 spaghetti squash, and 6 delicata squashes (is that a word?).

As an aside, sorry for the slightly wonky pictures on the blog the past couple of weeks! I am still a total amateur at photography and the reduced daylight time is totally throwing me for a loop. I think I am starting to get a hang of the lighting, though, so hopefully these are the last weird pictures for a while… 🙂

For the longest time, I’ve had my eye on this vegan red beans and rice recipe from Budget Bytes. It’s a labor of love, but completely worthwhile. SO much flavor. I made a few tweaks to make the beans even more savory, so that they’d stand up beautifully against the roasted delicata squash. Since we were making that pairing, we forwent the rice altogether. We were left with a satisfying meal that happens to be grain-free, for anyone who’s on that wavelength. I love grains, but this dish doesn’t need ’em. =]

5 from 1 vote Print Cajun Red Bean-Stuffed Delicata Squash Savory vegan Cajun red beans are simmered to perfection, then baked inside a delicata squash for a fall-inspired twist on red beans and rice. Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 2 hours Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes Total Yield 10 stuffed squash Calories Per Serving 259 kcal Author Yup, it's Vegan Ingredients For the vegan Cajun red beans (makes enough to stuff about 5 squash) 1 lb dry kidney beans soaked overnight

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow or white onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

4 stalks celery diced

4 cloves garlic minced

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 tbsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce if sensitive to heat)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

7 drops liquid smoke (optional) For the Cajun red bean stuffed delicata squash: 5 delicata squash halved lengthwise and seeded

1 tbsp olive oil

vegan Cajun red beans (recipe above)

green onions for serving Instructions For the vegan Cajun red beans: Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic with a pinch of salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the pot along with the vegetable broth, and seasoning (dried thyme through liquid smoke). Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 2 hours, keeping covered and stirring occasionally, until beans are completely soft. Remove the bay leaf. Adjust seasoning to taste. For a thicker texture, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. For the Cajun red bean stuffed delicata squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner. (You may need two baking sheets if your squash are on the larger side). Rub the squash halves with a very light coating of oil and place on the baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until the flesh is tender and the skin is slightly crisp. Add a scoop (approximately 1/2 cup) of vegan Cajun red beans to the inside of each squash half that you plan to eat now. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the beans are warm through. Store leftover squash and beans separately from each other. Serve with sliced green onions, and hot sauce (if desired). Nutrition Facts Cajun Red Bean-Stuffed Delicata Squash Amount Per Serving (1 stuffed squash half) Calories 259 Calories from Fat 27 % Daily Value* Fat 3g 5% Monounsaturated Fat 2g Sodium 110mg 5% Potassium 689mg 20% Carbohydrates 35g 12% Fiber 8g 33% Sugar 4g 4% Protein 11g 22% Vitamin A 650IU 13% Vitamin C 6.6mg 8% Calcium 60mg 6% Iron 3.4mg 19% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Red beans gently adapted from Budget Bytes. Happy Monday!