This vegan roasted butternut squash recipe is brought to you in partnership with my friends at Little Northern Bakehouse. As always opinions are 100 percent my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site and my toast cravings possible!
One of the ingredients I missed the most while healing my SIBO on a low FODMAP diet was butternut squash.
The creamy soups. The comforting risottos. The earthy dips. And most of all the TOASTS.
This might not seem like a dish ubiquitous enough to mention in that line up, but if you’ve ever been to ABC Kitchen in New York City, then you know squash toast is a thing, and a seriously delicious thing at that.
It’s been years since I’ve been able to eat that dish in person, thanks to sir gluten. But I’ve taken to making my own versions at home with gluten-free bread as a holiday appetizer or an easy make-ahead lunch, as for both scenarios, it helps that the mashed squash can be prepared days in advance.
What I did not miss about butternut squash was what preparing it does to my hands. A condition that has an official name, but to which I lovely refer as squash leprosy. You know what I’m talking about.
Because of this, my favorite way to prepare butternut squash is to simply halve it, scoop out the seeds, and roast it with the skin still on in the oven, cut-side down. The squash steams in its own casing and becomes silky and soft – the perfect texture to make into a soup or mash for squash toast.
I was feeling very seasonally festive last week, so I decided to resurrect this dish and add a dousing of vegan sriracha butter and fresh chives to the mix. I also took a page out of my own book (literally, this one) and made my smoky pumpkin seed brittle. In the new SIBO Made Simple book it is used as a topping for a Southwestern Wedge Salad. Here it adds a little extra crunch to the smooth squash.
Though it might seem like an unnecessary step, you simply toss the pumpkin seeds with spices, a little maple syrup and oil, roast them on a sheet pan alongside the squash, and boom you have a delicious topping and extra handful to snack on if need be while you wait for the squash to finish cooking.
You know I am all about those seeds for zinc and other nutrients, which is why I doubled down and used Little Northern Bakehouse Seeds and Grains bread. The outside has a wonderful texture, especially once toasted, with lots of morsels of whole grains and seeds.
Their loaves are not only gluten-free but egg-free as well–which is a hard thing to find in the grocery aisle–and certified as Glyphosate Residue Free by third-party testing so consumers don’t have to worry about this cancer-causing substance. We’ve been keeping at least one loaf in our freezer throughout all of quarantine and it has been our lunchtime savior.
The Seeds and Grains loaf also works especially nicely for the squash toasts, as it has a hearty texture, but its sprouted grains make it super easy to digest, which for a former SIBO Amigo like myself is always appreciated.
If you’re looking for a little slice of fall, I highly recommend these roasted butternut squash toasts with sriracha and smoky pumpkin seeds. Even low FODMAP folks can enjoy it in ¼ cup quantities slathered onto toasted bread – a great taste of the omnivore good life without causing too much distress.
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Sriracha Roasted Butternut Squash Toasts with Smoky Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- For the squash toasts:
- One 2-pound butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 4 tablespoons plant-based butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley or chives or both, divided
- 8 slices Little Northern Bakehouse Seeds & Grains bread
- For the pumpkin seeds:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub with olive oil and salt and arrange cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a fork easily slides in and out of the non-hallow half.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, olive oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. Arrange the mixture in an even layer on another parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the seeds in the top half of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and crunchy. Start watching at 8 minutes as they can go from beautiful to burnt is a snap. Remove from the oven and allow the pepitas to cool completely on the pan.
- Back to the squash: When cool enough to touch, scoop out the squash flesh and reserve in a bowl. Season to taste with salt (you’ll probably need ½ teaspoon). Stir in the sriracha, butter and 3 tablespoons of the herbs. Set aside.
- Arrange the bread on one of the baking sheets and toast in the oven until golden brown, or use a toaster.
- Make the toasts: on a clean work surface, slather the toast with the squash and top with the seeds, remaining herbs and another drizzle of sriracha if you like things hawt. Any leftover seeds will keep for up to a week on the counter in an airtight container.
I am crying laughing at squash leprosy! I get it too, so I keep a pair of fab dishwashing gloves to use to peel it. My doctor calls it “contact dermatitis” but your name is much better! Looking forward to trying this tasty looking toast!
Oh my goodness… this sounds absolutely delicious! I love roasted butternut squash on bread. Thankyou very much.