Honeynut Squash "Tacos"
Honeynut Squash Tacos
This Honeynut Squash Taco recipe is great for a weeknight meal or even a special occasion. It’s super easy and great for batch cooking, too! Plus it’s got all the good stuff your body needs- colorful veggies, fiber, and protein-rich lentils, and your daily dose of dark leafy greens. Plant-based, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
About the Honeynut Squash
You’re probably familiar with butternut squash and many of the other common winter squashes at the grocery store in the colder months- delicata, acorn, spaghetti. I recently discovered the cute as a button honeynut squash at my local farmer’s market, and then I noticed it in Whole Foods too, so I think it’s trending!
This is a personal-sized squash. Some are so small you can fit it in the palm of your hand. it’s shaped like a butternut but with a darker peachy-brown colored skin that is so delicate and thin that you can eat it. How cool is that? And the taste? Super sweet. (For more background story on this special squash check out this article from Bon Appetite).
Honeynut Squash- aren’t they cute?!
Since this squash is so sweet, it makes a great complement to spicy foods- like a spicy taco filling. And since they’re small, I figured, why not just forego the taco shells and create a squash taco all in one?! So here’s what we’re going to do in this recipe. We’ll roast the squashes in the oven. Then we’ll cook up some lentils and sauté them with other veggies and your favorite taco seasoning flavors. And then we’ll stuff the squashes, bake to get the outside a little crispy, and then top ‘em off. I suggest serving with a bed of dark greens.
Psst… These Tacos Can Make Your Life Easier!
Make the tacos ahead of time, on the weekend
I like to share recipes that you can make ahead or batch cook on the weekend, and this is one of them! You can easily roast the squashes and make the filling ahead of time. You could refrigerate them separately, or fill the squash halves and put them in the fridge for later in the week. Then just preheat your oven to 375F and bake for about 20 minutes while you assemble your toppings. Another option? Make the taco filling on the weekend and then use it for actual tacos on Taco Tuesday!
Create multiple meals by batch cooking ingredients
When you’re prepping the ingredients for these tacos, why not make your life easier and prep a little extra? You only need 1 1/2 cups of cooked lentils, but you can easily cook extra to use in other meals- for example, throw them into a soup, add to a buddha bowl for lunch, or incorporate them into homemade veggie burgers. You can even cook an extra large batch of lentils and freeze some of them for the future. Same with the carrots- I shredded some extra that I can mix into a salad .
Use convenience appliances, if you’ve got them
I just got a rice cooker for my birthday and I LOVE it. Seriously. And the cool thing is that it can cook lentils- at least the brown/green kind that this recipe calls for. Follow the directions as if you were cooking brown rice, it’s that simple. The other appliance that makes this recipe easier is a food processor. I use the small shredding disk to shred my carrots and it turns what would have been a 5-10 minute laborious process into about 10 seconds of work.
Honeynut Squash Taco Recipe
Ingredients
2 honeynut squash, scrubbed clean and sliced lengthwise with seeds removed
2 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
1 small onion, small diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (purple if you can find it!)
1 1/2 cups brown lentils (cooked)
2 T taco seasoning
1/2 t cayenne or hot chili powder, or 1 chipotle chili in adobo (minced)
1/4 t salt (or more to taste)
1/2-1 cup of water
Toppings and Extras
Chopped Cilantro
Shredded Red or Green Cabbage
Sliced Jalapeños
Toasted Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Hot Sauce
Dark leafy greens- use your hands to massage a little olive oil and lemon into some torn kale. The flavor contrast with the squash is fantastic!
Ingredients for the lentil and vegetable taco meat.
Directions
Step 1: Roast the Squash
Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush all sides of the squash halves with 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil, and place face down on the sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes to see if they’re soft. Do not overcook! Remove from the oven and flip the squashes so they are face up- this will help them cool more quickly.
If you are making this whole meal at once, then keep the oven hot and make the taco filling while the squashes are in the oven. If you’re making the squash ahead of time, then place the squash halves in a container in the fridge after they’ve cooled.
Step 2: Make the Taco Filling
While the squash are roasting, start making your filling. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet until medium hot (if you’re trying to limit oil, use a non-stick skillet and a little water). Add the onions and cook until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir frequently until fragrant and beginning to soften, no more than a minute. Next add the shredded carrot and cook for about 3 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown. Stir frequently during this process and add a little water if the mixture is beginning to stick.
Next, add the lentils, taco seasoning, hot pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and stir everything up to combine the flavors thoroughly. Add some more water- about 1/2 cup, and stir. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Give it a stir at the halfway mark. If the mixture is sticking, add a bit of water.
Check the taco mixture and taste to ensure that everything is cooked through and that you like the flavor. Squeeze in the lime juice, stir, and use your spatula to loosen any bits that are sticking to the bottom of the pan (add a little water if needed). Taste for seasoning- add more salt, taco seasoning or hot pepper, to your likening. Remember that you’re eating this with a sweet squash that will help tone down the spiciness. So don’t be afraid to make the filling spicy.
Now, take a large fork or potato masher and mash up some of the mixture. You want to have some texture but also get everything to kind of mix together smoothly- like taco meat! Turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat.
What your lentil taco meat will look like when it’s done (note: there’s about half a batch in this photo)
Step 3: Fill and Bake the “Tacos”
If the oven isn’t already preheated to 375F, do that. Then, evenly divide the taco mixture among the four squash halves, and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is just beginning to get a little browned and crispy on the outside. If you are doing this step after having prepped in advance (and your squash and filling are cold from the fridge), then you’ll want to bake for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Add Your Toppings
While your tacos are baking, finish prepping your toppings. I’d suggest serving this either on a bed of massaged kale, or alongside a fresh green salad. Gotta get your greens!