Hot Honey Winter Squash and Chickpeas Recipe
Hot honey winter squash and chickpeas (gluten-free) bring the perfect blend of sweet heat to this cozy dinner for two. Roasting a winter squash like delicata and chickpeas tossed in hot honey with warm spices, creates a crispy,caramelized texture making this sheet pan dinner as satisfying as it is flavorful!
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounce can chickpeas (preferably “no salt added”), drained and rinsed
- 1 Delicata squash or acorn squash unpeeled, halved through the stem and seeded
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon fine salt plus more as needed
- 2 thyme sprigs
- ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 small red onion chopped (scant ½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar, more as needed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves ,dill sprigs, or a combination
- 1 Tablespoons hot honey plus more to taste
- plain whole-milk yogurt or sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If you have a convection oven it will not only speed up roasting of the squash but help crisp up the chickpeas. Line one sheet pan with parchment paper and another with paper towels. Place chickpeas (reminder: rinse and drain them first) on the towel-lined sheet pan, pat them dry, and set aside.
Prep the squash:
- Place the squash on the parchment-lined pan. Brush the cavity and sides with olive oil and sprinkle the inside of the squash with ½ teaspoon garam marsala, ¼ teaspoon salt, thyme sprigs, and red-pepper flakes. Roast for 20 minutes.
Season Chickpeas:
- In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, red onion, remaining ¼ teaspoon graham marsala ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon hot honey, and toss until well combined. Remove the squash from the oven and push to one-half of the baking sheet and spread chickpeas on the other. Roast for an additional 30 minutes, stirring chickpeas halfway. Roast until the squash is golden brown and tender, and the chickpeas and onions are slightly crispy.
Finish and Serve:
- Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle chickpea mixture and the squash cavity with vinegar and herbs. Don’t forget to remove the thyme stems. Drizzle chickpeas with more hot honey. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, honey, or vinegar, to taste. Toss to combine and stuff into squash. Top with yogurt, if desired.