Garlic Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas
This tray of Garlic Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas is an easy vegan sheet pan dinner that cooks in 35 minutes. A full meal loaded with fall flavors and will make you feel satisfied with every bite.
If you’ve been following for a long time now, you know I’m a lover of sheet pan meals. Now that the temperature is dropping, I’m bringing back way more this season to keep you guys deliciously satisfied.
And one thing I love around this time of year are winter squashes especially acorn squash. Loaded with so much nutrition, it only makes sense to create a meal around this budget-friendly fall staple.
Why You’ll Love Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas
- Sheet pan meal. Everything roasts in the oven, so no stovetop cooking is necessary. And the meal cooks in just 35 minutes, making this a great weeknight meal that feels fancier, but with not as much effort.
- Wholesome, simple ingredients. Sticking to foods like acorn squash, chickpeas and kale helps to make this a highly nourishing meal loaded with fiber, plant-protein and a ton of antioxidants.
- Allergy friendly. This dish as always is vegan, so it is naturally dairy-free and egg-free. It’s suitable for those that are gluten-free and easy to make fully nut-free.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Acorn Squash: One of my favorite winter squashes. You can also try this with butternut squash, kabocha squash or delicata squash, just note that their cook times will be different, so adjust accordingly.
- Chickpeas: Just rinse and drain some chickpeas from a can. You can use home cooked beans, but don’t over cook them or else they will be mushy when baked. You can also opt for some tofu or lentils (lentil roasting instructions here) if you want to change things up.
- Kale: You can choose a different vegetable. I just like that this cooks the fastest. Feel free to try roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts if preferred. You can also use fresh greens like lettuce or spring mix if you want something fresh.
- Herbs: Used a combination of fresh rosemary and thyme. If not a fan of rosemary, you can also try this with some sage.
- Cashews: You can leave the cashew cream sauce out if you are allergic to cashews and replace with a different spread of your choice like hummus or Trader Joe’s makes a fantastic garlic sauce that is also plant based.
- Nutritional Yeast: I always reference this as our flavor enhancer as it does provide a good amount of umami flavor to this dish. If you don’t happen to use or have on hand you can use grated vegan parm. You can also use 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to replace the yeast used for the squash and then leave out the nutritional yeast for the cashew cream sauce.
- Garlic: Always measure with your heart, so use more or less based on preference. I prefer to crush my garlic with a garlic press, but feel free to grate or mince your garlic very finely based on preference.
How to Make Garlic Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas
How to Roast Acorn Squash Wedges
Cut your acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges. Place the wedges into a bowl and top with half the chopped rosemary and thyme, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, onion powder, some crushed garlic, a drizzle of oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Then place on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. When ready to roast, place in the oven for 35 minutes, making sure to flip the squash after 25 minutes of roasting.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Crispy Rosemary Chickpeas
The most important step, add your chickpeas to a clean kitchen towel and pat as dry as possible. You may notice some chickpea skins rub off the chickpeas as you dry them, just remove any excess ones that come off. No need to peel all of the chickpeas!
Place the chickpeas on a second tray and top with the remaining rosemary, thyme, garlic, oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat making sure they are well oiled and spread out on the baking tray in a single layer. The more space they have, the crispier they will get. Roast for 25 minutes, giving the chickpeas a nice toss half way through.
How to Roast Kale
Now chop the kale into bite sized pieces and place in the bowl used earlier to prep the squash. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat in the residual ingredients left in the bowl. Spread the kale out onto a baking tray (I used the same tray I used for the chickpeas, just remove the chickpeas from the tray to rest on a plate). Place kale in the oven when 7 minutes are left to cook and allow to roast until warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your chickpeas and veggies have enough room to roast in their pan. Don’t try to jam everything onto one pan, just use an additional pan. Always spread out your vegetables and legumes on your baking tray so they are laying in a single layer, preferably with a little space between each other to help avoid any items from steaming instead of roasting and browning.
- To make your acorn squash easier to cut, place in the microwave. This can be helpful with larger squashes as this will help soften it slightly so you can have an easier time cutting into it. Before microwaving, poke the squash a few times with a sharp knife to help release steam as it cooks. Place the squash on top of a microwave safe dish and microwave for 3 minutes to soften. Remove the squash with some oven safe mitts, then carefully cut the squash in half.
- Add enough oil. Make sure your ingredients are coated well to ensure even roasting for the squash and a crispy texture on the chickpeas.
- Quick soak your cashews. If you forget to soak them overnight, you can do a quick 1 hour soak. Just place your cashews in a heat safe dish and cover the cashews in boiling water from a tea kettle. Let the cashews sit for an hour and then drain off the liquid and they are ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Acorn squash has a very thin skin, so you can leave it on and eat with no issue. No need to peel, just slice into wedges to roast and enjoy. You’ll also be able to reap the rewards of the concentrated nutrients found in the skin plus some extra fiber.
If you plan to reheat, place your chickpeas in the oven or air fryer at 400F for 5-6 minutes to heat them back up and crisp up.
This meal is best enjoyed immediately after preparing. Both the squash and chickpeas may become softer as they cool and will still be delicious even if you happen to reheat in the microwave. Store the sauce and roasted ingredients in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you have access to an oven or air fryer when reheating, reheat the squash and chickpeas in the oven at 400F for about 5-6 minutes until warmed and crisped up.
How to Serve Your Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas
If you like to keep things saucy, you can make some cashew cream that you can spread on the bottom of your plate. It is just a blend of soaked cashews with some garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon and salt. You can alternatively use different spreads like your favorite hummus or some garlic sauce (I like the Trader Joe’s brand). Top with the roasted kale, then the roasted acorn squash and top with the crispy chickpeas to make it look fancy.
As is, this meal is balanced and complete providing nutrition from all of your main macronutrients and also provides a host of different micronutrients like magnesium, potassium, some iron and and the antioxidant beta-carotene. Always feel free to adjust portions to your preference or add to this meal to make it even more filling (add whole grains like quinoa or farro).
More Vegan Sheet Pan Dinners to Try
- High Protein Roasted Chickpea Tempeh Bowls
- Roasted Gnocchi with Caramelized Cauliflower
- Roasted Lentil Potato Salad
- Sheet Pan Maple Soy Glazed Tofu and Noodles
- Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Chickpeas
Garlic Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2–3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This tray of Garlic Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash and Chickpeas is an easy vegan sheet pan dinner that cooks in 35 minutes. A full meal loaded with fall flavors and will make you feel satisfied with every bite.
Ingredients
- 1 small acorn squash
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stems and roughly chopped
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from stems
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed with a garlic press
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1, 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 8 stems of Lacinato kale, rough woody stem ends removed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cashew Cream (optional)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 1 hour
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Juice of one small lemon
- 1/4 heaping tsp kosher salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut your acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into thin 1/2 inch thick wedges then place into a medium mixing bowl.
- To the bowl, add half the amount of chopped rosemary and thyme then add the nutritional yeast, cornstarch, onion powder, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of oil, maple syrup and a generous pinch of salt. Toss each wedge to evenly coat and add additional oil if needed.
- Place each wedge onto a lined baking sheet in a single layer with some space between each piece and reserve the bowl for the kale on the side.
- Add your chickpeas to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Place on a second lined baking tray and top with the remaining rosemary, thyme, garlic, oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss to evenly coat and spread them out into a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Place both the squash and chickpea trays in the oven to roast for 25 minutes, giving the chickpeas a nice toss half way through.
- As everything bakes, chop the kale into bite sized pieces and place in the bowl used for the squash from earlier. Sprinkle the kale with salt and toss to coat in the residual oil and seasoning left in the bowl.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven after 25 minutes. Flip the squash and return the tray to the oven for 10 minutes. Set the chickpeas aside and in the same tray spread out the kale. Place this tray into the oven when 7 minutes are left for the squash.
- For the cashew cream, add the cashew cream ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble plates, spread a spoonful of the sauce on the bottom of the plate, top with the kale, then the roasted squash and finally the crispy chickpeas.
Notes
Make sure your chickpeas and veggies have enough room to roast in their pan. Don’t try to jam everything onto one pan, just use an additional pan. Always spread out your vegetables and legumes on your baking tray so they are laying in a single layer, preferably with a little space between each other to help avoid any items from steaming instead of roasting and browning.
To make your acorn squash easier to cut, place in the microwave. This can be helpful with larger squashes as this will help soften it slightly so you can have an easier time cutting into it. Before microwaving, poke the squash a few times with a sharp knife to help release steam as it cooks. Place the squash on top of a microwave safe dish and microwave for 3 minutes to soften. Remove the squash with some oven safe mitts, then carefully cut the squash in half.
Add enough oil. Make sure your ingredients are coated well to ensure even roasting for the squash and a crispy texture on the chickpeas.
Quick soak your cashews. If you forget to soak them overnight, you can do a quick 1 hour soak. Just place your cashews in a heat safe dish and cover the cashews in boiling water from a tea kettle. Let the cashews sit for an hour and then drain off the liquid and they are ready to use.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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Tastes and looks amazing! I spent a week putting off making this because I thought it’d be too intensive or light for a weekday dinner but boy was I wrong. Super simple, the flavors were perfect, and way heartier than I could’ve imagined.