Need a healthy dinner fast? The whole family will love this vegetarian stir fry! It’s packed with sweet and earthy flavors of roasted butternut squash, black beans and quinoa, spiced with cumin and chilli powder. The best part? It’s ready, start to finish, in about 45 minutes.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Stir-fries are your cooker’s answer to casseroles. Either way, you prepare it and forget it (more or less)—not too many pans to rinse, not too many steps. And it’s ready in less than 45 minutes!
My preparation is done in record time and I don’t skimp on the taste!
While dinner bakes and simmers, you’ll have time to get to work in the kitchen or take a minute to enjoy a cup of tea. Who doesn’t like a meal with downtime built in? Once your tea is ready, you’ll have a filling, tasty vegetarian or vegan (if you omit the cheese) meal. That’s a plan I can live with!
Whole, halved or pre-cut butternut squash
You can buy whole, half, or pre-diced frozen or fresh butternut squash. Whether you’re a pre-cut or a whole-food person, it’s important to know that you’ll need a pound of pumpkin for this recipe.
- If you’re buying pre-cut bags or containers of squash, try opting for fresh over frozen. The frozen squash may get a little mushy.
- I can buy half a butternut squash at my market. This saves time and is perfect for my household of two. I usually get about a pound of pumpkin.
- If you only find one large, whole butternut squash, don’t worry. The extra is not wasted. Use any additional squash to make any of these Top 10 Butternut Squash Recipes.
To cut the squash into small pieces, snip the round, bulbous end off the neck so you can work with one of two pieces at a time. Peel it if necessary, then dice it. Repeat with the bulbous end.
For a detailed step-by-step guide, check out our post How to cut a butternut squash.
To toast the cubes, baste them with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake over high heat. This high heat method gives you just enough time (15 to 20 minutes) to start the pan ingredients.
What is the best quinoa?
While we think of quinoa as a grain, it’s actually a seed of a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It’s therefore gluten-free, packed with protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
There are three main varieties of quinoa: red, white, or black. They can be used interchangeably in the recipe.
While some brands say “pre-flushed” on the label, it’s best to play it safe and Take a few minutes to place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and run it under cold water for a minute or two. This removes the outer layer of saponin. While this coating is not harmful, it can impart a bitter taste.
Proposals and Substitutions
There are many ways to vary this recipe. I’ve provided a few simple and easy swaps below.
- Don’t have red quinoa? Use whatever paint you have on hand.
- Kidney beans or chickpeas could replace the black beans.
- If you want to cook the beans from scratch, check out this post on how to cook dried beans.
- You can use almonds or cashews to replace pepitas.
- Cotija is a salty, dry and crumbly cheese. The best substitute to mimic its flavor and texture would be feta, but why limit yourself? Top the pan with shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar, or manchego and place the pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt.
- vegan would of course omit the cheese or use a vegan cheese alternative, but don’t worry, there’s plenty of flavor here with or without cheese!
More great skillet dinners
- Dinner with kidney bean, tomato and shrimp stir-fry
- Pan-fried shrimp fajitas
- Cheese Taco Pasta Skillet
- Southwest Fried Chicken with Beans and Corn
- Easy pan enchiladas
Butternut squash and black bean skillet dinner
ingredients
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1 lb peeled and cored Butternut Squashcut into 1/2 inch cubes
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3 tablespoon olive oil
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3/4 teaspoon Salt
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1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 Cup red quinoa
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1 Middle Onionfinely chopped
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2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
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1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder or chili powder of your choice
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1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 1/4 cups water or low-salt vegetable broth
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1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
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1 (15 ounce) can black beansrinsed and drained
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2 big handful baby spinach leaves
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1/3 Cup Pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
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3 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled Cotija cheese (Optional)
For garnish:
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1/2 Cup coriander leaves
method
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Preheat oven to 450ºF
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Roast Pumpkin:
On a rimmed baking sheet, pile the squash in the center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir to coat the squash, massage the oil into the cubes to coat.
Spread in a single layer and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes, until tender and partially browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
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Rinse quinoa:
Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 1-2 minutes, shaking the strainer and stirring with your hands to remove the bitter coating (saponin) from the seeds.
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Cooking onion and spices:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the garlic, oregano, chilli powder, and cumin and stir for 1 minute.
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Cook quinoa:
Add quinoa, water or broth, diced tomatoes (including juice), drained beans, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, cover pan and simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the spinach and cook an additional minute, or until the spinach wilts.
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Roast pumpkin seeds:
while the quinoa is cooking: In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add the pumpkin seeds and stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes, or until they start to crackle and turn golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool. (Leaving them in the hot pan can burn them.)
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Finish and serve the quinoa:
Lift the squash into the pan. Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds, cheese and coriander and serve.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 268 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 35g | carbohydrates |
| 11g | protein |
