Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (2024)

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by Reneon Oct 20, 2021

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4.96 from 22 ratings

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This Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas is comfort in a bowl. The roasted squash is divine and the curry is perfectly spicy.

Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (1)

This curry is the perfect comforting dinner for a cold night at home. The curry is savory, slightly spicy and cooked down with red lentils. The acorn squash and chickpeas are seasoned, then roasted until tender. And everything is served up with hot rice and a generous sprinkle of cilantro. This is beyond delicious.

How to make the roasted squash

Don’t be intimidated by squash. I know they seem tricky to work with – their tough skin, and seedy insides. But just be sure to use a sharp knife and you’ll be just fine. AND the best part about this recipe is we’re using acorn squash. Which means there is no need to skin the squash. Once roasted, the skin is totally tender and edible.

Once you have the squash de-seeded and chopped, add it to a bowl with some seasonings & olive oil and toss until coated. Transfer to a baking sheet along with some seasoned chickpeas and roast for 30 minutes. The squash is tender & slightly browned and the chickpeas are crispy.

Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (2)

How to make the curry

The curry is packed with flavor and only takes a few ingredients to get there. Start out by cooking some garlic, ginger and shallots in olive oil & red curry paste. Let everything get super fragrant and slightly tender.

Add in the lentils, broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar and peanut butter. Bring everything to a boil and simmer until the lentils are cooked through. Lastly, add coconut milk, lime juice and a few handfuls of spinach. Let everything cook down for a few more minutes and try not to dig in before it’s done.

Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (3)

How to serve the acorn squash curry

Serve the curry over hot rice and top with the roasted squash, chickpeas and PLENTY of cilantro (unless you hate it, of course).

This dish is rich, filled with veggies and packs the perfect amount of heat. This makes great leftovers too – just reheat and dig in.

Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (4)

Need more recipes? Check these out:

Red Curry Noodle Soup
Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
Sweet and Spicy Braised Eggplant
Vegan Butternut Squash Tacos with Chipotle Cilantro Sauce
Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls

Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

This Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas is comfort in a bowl. The roasted squash is divine and the curry is perfectly spicy.

4.96 from 22 ratings

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Ingredients

FOR THE ACORN SQUASH

▢ 1 acorn squash washed
▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
▢ salt & pepper

FOR THE CHICKPEAS

▢ 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained & rinsed
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ salt & pepper

FOR THE CURRY

▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 3 cloves garlic diced
▢ 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and diced
▢ 2 shallots thinly sliced
▢ 2-4 tablespoons red curry paste
▢ 3/4 cup red lentils dry
▢ 3-4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
▢ 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted peanut butter
▢ 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
▢ 1 lime juiced
▢ 3 large handfuls spinach roughly chopped
▢ 1 bunch cilantro chopped, separated
▢ cooked rice for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the acorn squash in half* and scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1 inch slices, removing the stem and base. Place in a bowl and add the oil, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric and a pinch of pepper. Toss to combine. Place on one half of the baking sheet, being sure not to overlap the pieces.
Add the chickpeas to the same bowl and add the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder and a pinch of pepper. Toss to combine. Spread out on the other half of the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip everything and cook for another 10-20 minutes or until the squash is tender.**
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and shallots. Cook down for about a minute and then add the red curry paste. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shallots are tender.
Add the lentils, 3 cups of broth, both soy sauces, rice vinegar and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, lime juice and spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes.***
Turn off the heat and add 1/2 of the cilantro.
Serve the curry over hot rice and top with the squash, chickpeas and more cilantro.

Video

Notes

*I left the skin on the squash – after roasting, it will be tender and totally edible.

**I only needed to roast mine for 30 minutes total. If you slice your squash too thick, you may need to cook it a little longer.

***At this point you can decide if you want to add 1 more cup of broth. I decided to add more so that the curry wouldn’t be too thick.

****Nutrition info does not include the rice.

Calories: 475kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 30g

Cuisine: asian, thai

Course: lunch, Main Course

Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below or take a photo and share it on Instagram @thissavoryvegan with #thissavoryvegan.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

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Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas (7)

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published on Oct 20, 2021

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20 comments on “Acorn Squash Curry with Lentils & Roasted Chickpeas”

Tom — February 20, 2024 @ 7:09 pm Reply
Wow – will make this again for sure.
May try roasted cauliflower in place of the acorn squash as an alternative.

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- Rene — February 21, 2024 @ 7:50 am Reply
  Thanks Tom! So glad you liked it!
Vince — February 9, 2024 @ 11:39 am Reply
This is a killer recipe. I just keep going back to it! The only change I made is to double the squash, which gives a person 3-4 wedges per serving.
- Rene — February 10, 2024 @ 9:14 am Reply
  Never enough veggies! So glad you liked it Vince!
Caitlin — October 20, 2023 @ 11:57 am Reply
I made a fat free version of this meal by cutting out the peanut butter and coconut milk (and only used coconut aminos in the place of both soy sauces) and it still turned out wonderful! Next time, I might just add the cut-up squash to the soup as it boils, so I don’t have to bake as a separate step (I’m lazy and I’ll do anything to save time in the kitchen). Will definitely be making it again though!
- Rene — October 27, 2023 @ 9:55 am Reply
  Boiling the squash would definitely save some time – and it will still taste good! So glad you liked it!
Luna — September 26, 2023 @ 5:28 pm Reply
incredible 🤤
- Rene — September 29, 2023 @ 8:56 am Reply
  Thanks Luna!
DANIELLE HUIDEKOPER — March 2, 2023 @ 5:10 pm Reply
Yum!!!!! So good and easy
- Rene — March 3, 2023 @ 11:11 am Reply
  Thanks Danielle!
Karen — January 9, 2023 @ 3:46 pm Reply
I got some picky eaters that would not eat the chunks of squash so I decided to blend it after it cooked with coconut milk and then added it to the lentil curry, made it more creamy. Turned out delish!
Allison — October 30, 2022 @ 12:01 pm Reply
Really yummy and warming. My curry came out super runny, even though I only used 3 cups of vegetable broth. Maybe I’ll increase the lentils next time?
- Rene — November 3, 2022 @ 1:36 pm Reply
  So glad you liked it – it might be the coconut milk you used also. I usually use full fat to give it a really creamy texture!
Jessie S Jenkins — November 13, 2021 @ 4:24 pm Reply
such a delicious curry! The acorn squash was easier to prep than i expected. More than 20 minutes prep time for sure but will be making again.
- Sunny — October 10, 2022 @ 6:39 pm Reply
  Took a bit of prep, but worth it! Even my toddler loved the rice, chickpeas and squash (though the curry had too much spice for the baby, but just right for us!). Thanks!
Kelly Hoff — November 7, 2021 @ 8:52 am Reply
So delicious, so easy!!! The acorn squash alone was amazing!!
- Rene — November 10, 2021 @ 12:30 pm Reply
  Hi Kelly – so glad you liked this! And yes, I could just eat a plate of the squash lol
Marisa — October 31, 2021 @ 10:44 am Reply
Thanks for sharing your recipes! Do you think butternut squash would work instead of acorn squash?
Chelly — October 26, 2021 @ 4:25 pm Reply
Made this for dinner tonight and it got rave reviews from meatatarian hubby and vegan son. My prep time was not even close to 20 minutes. I even cut up squash and let it and the chickpeas marinate overnight. Delish nonetheless! Thanks for the recipe😊
- Rene — October 27, 2021 @ 8:05 am Reply
  Hi Chelly! So glad it was a hit with the whole family!