This curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash recipe is a delicious, nutritious main dish packed with flavor and perfectly balanced. The sweet, caramelized acorn squash is stuffed with savory lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach, all seasoned with bold spices like curry, cumin, and turmeric. This flavor-packed, cozy vegetable dish is perfect for chilly fall and winter nights when you need to be warmed up from head to toe.
Why add garbanzo beans?
If you haven't tried garbanzo beans yet (also known as chickpeas), you're missing out on a delicious and nutritious food! Not only are they packed with protein, making them fantastic for vegetarians and vegans, but they're also budget-friendly, so you don't have to break the bank to enjoy them. The best part about garbanzo beans is that they can take on the flavors of whatever you cook them with, so they're perfect for adding to a variety of dishes. Trust me, you won't regret giving these tasty legumes a try! They are perfect in this acorn squash recipe.
Why add lentils?
Lentils, also a type of legume, are packed with essential nutrients, including vitamin B12. They are part of the same family as beans and peas, and in this dish, they play well together, complementing each other perfectly. The hearty and nutritious lentils add a distinct flavor and texture to the dish, making it a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Spices needed in the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash
The spices we use in this dish are:
- Curry
- Cumin
- Tumeric
- Minced Garlic
- Salt
Just a few ingredients are needed to make this cozy, healthy meal
- Onion
- Spices - Garlic, Curry, Cumin, Turmeric, and Salt
- Habanero Pepper - If you want it super spicy
- Lemon
- Spinach
- Lentils
- Garbanzo beans
- Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
How to make the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash:
Whenever I'm making a recipe, I like to gather all the ingredients beforehand to make the process easier. The most challenging part of making this curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash recipe is cutting the acorn squash.
How to cut an acorn squash:
To cut the acorn squash, use a sharp knife to carefully cut between two of the ridges by poking the tip of the knife into the squash. Apply pressure on the knife until you feel it reach the hollow center. If the knife gets stuck, pull it out and start your cut again. Keep cutting along the same line, flipping and repositioning the squash as needed until you have cut all the way through. It's not necessary, but if you prefer to remove the stem before roasting, that's totally understandable. It can be quite tough and not very enjoyable to eat. Just remember to take it off before you dig in!
Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and any stringy parts.
Prepare the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash:
Chop the onion and habanero (remember the habanero is only if you want it spicy!), and measure all the spices.
Cook the lentils
Rinse the Lentils in cool water and drain. Then, cook them in the broth. Just add the rinsed lentils to a pot and cover with broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
Roast the acorn squash.
To prepare the acorn squash, brush a thin layer of olive oil over it, then sprinkle the squash with curry, cumin, and salt. Place the squash in a casserole dish cut side up and add ½ cup of water to the casserole dish. Roast the squash at 375 degrees for around 30 minutes or until it is fork-tender.
The filling for the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash
As the squash roasts, focus on preparing the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped onions with olive oil. Cook the onions until they become translucent. Then, add the drained garbanzo beans and spices and saute for a couple of minutes. After that, add the cooked lentils and cooked spinach. If you use frozen spinach, add it directly into the mixture and cook until it's thawed. If you're using fresh spinach, cook it in a separate pan until it has cooked down, which will take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir to make sure everything is combined. Turn off the heat and mix in the yogurt. Stir completely.
Once the acorn squash is ready, carefully remove the halves from the oven. Let the squash cool for 5 minutes or so. Using a spoon, scrape out about half of the roasted squash and add it to the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach mixture. Stir everything together until it blends well. In this acorn squash recipe, the texture of the filling is similar to that of mashed potatoes.
Stuff the acorn squash
Divide the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach mixture equally and spoon it into each half of the acorn squash shells. Pile the mixture up inside the squash.
Place the curried lentils, garbanzo beans, and spinach stuffed acorn squash back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. This will heat all the flavors together and make a nice creamy texture.
Remove from oven and Enjoy!!! We hope you love this Acorn Squash Recipe as much as we do.
If you haven't yet tasted acorn squash, you should definitely give it a try! Not only is this vegetable easy to prepare, but it also has a delicious flavor. It's an excellent option for a hearty, vegetarian meal, just like this stuffed acorn squash recipe.
Another great thing about acorn squash is that it's low in calories and provides an abundance of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins B and C, potassium, and magnesium. One unique feature of acorn squash is that the entire vegetable is edible, from its skin to its seeds. So you can enjoy all the tasty goodness that this vegetable has to offer.
Looking for more recipe options? We have some suggestions you might like.
- Beef and Lentil Curry with Green Beans - This Beef and Lentil Curry recipe makes a hearty and healthy meal with flavors like curry powder, cumin, & garlic
- Chicken and Lentil Curry - This Chicken and Lentil Curry recipe makes a hearty and healthy meal loaded with flavors like curry powder, cumin, & garlic
- Cozy Been Vegetable Lentil Soup - For a hearty fall dinner recipe, try this healthy and delicious Beef Vegetable Lentil soup with green beans and carrots.
- Roasted Acorn Squash - Add some excitement to your fall meals with this flavorful Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe! It is low in calories and full of flavor.
- Stuffed Acorn Squash - Acorn squash stuffed with Chicken, creamy cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and Spinach/Kale. Easy, fun to make, and everyone gets their own squash bowl!!
Curried Lentils, Garbanzo Beans, and Spinach Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 Acorn Squash
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 32 Ounces Vegetable Broth or Chicken broth
- 1 Cup Lentils
- ½ Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Medium Onion Chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons Minced Garlic
- 1 ½ Cup Garbanzo Beans drained
- 1 Cup Spinach
- 1 Habanero pepper Optional
- 2 Tablespoons Curry powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Plain, Non-fat Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Cut the acorn squash in half. Cut it lengthwise from the stem.
- Remove the seeds
- Place the squash in a casserole dish, cut side up, and brush about a tablespoon of Olive oil over the inside of the squash.
- Mix together one teaspoon of curry powder and one teaspoon of cumin. Sprinkle the mix on the inside of the acorn squash.
- Pour ½ cup water into the bottom of the casserole dish. Place in a 375-degree oven. Cook for one hour.
Prepare the stuffing mix
- Rinse and drain the lentils in cool water. Place the lentils in a pan and cover with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the broth is absorbed into the lentils.1 Habanero pepper
- Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent.½ Tablespoon Olive oil
- Add the drained garbanzo beans with the onions
- Add the additional spices (curry, cumin, turmeric, and sea salt). Cook for a couple of minutes until the spices are fragrant2 Tablespoons Curry powder, 2 teaspoons Cumin, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- Add the cooked lentils and remaining broth.
- Add the spinach. If you want it spicy add the chopped habanero.1 Cup Lentils
- Add 1 cup of water to the mixture. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer until the water has reduced in half.
- Remove the garbanzo bean lentil mixture from the heat. Stir in the yogurt.
Finishing the Squash
- When the squash is soft and easy to pierce with a fork, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before handling.1 ½ Cups Plain, Non-fat Greek yogurt
- Use a spoon to scoop out about half of the squash meat leaving a thin layer along the inside. Place the acorn squash shell back in the baking dish.
- Mix the scooped-out squash meat into the garbanzo bean lentil mixture.
- Stir the mixture together. The squash will be soft and will mix well into the garbanzo bean lentil mixture. It will help the mixture to thicken.
- Fill both squash halves with the mixture. Divide the filling up and stuff into the acorn squash shells in the baking dish.
- Put the squash back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes to heat through.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
- Enjoy!
C. Favus says
So do you roast the squash for 30 or 60 minutes? You have both times listed. Also, when you call for a cup of spinach, is that fresh or frozen? How are you substituting one for the other?