There are two things that I will never turn down—a bowl of delicious vegetables and Caesar salad. This recipe has both, but with some shortcuts and a vegetarian guarantee. This Kale, Butternut Squash & Chickpea Caesar bowl is going to knock your socks off in flavor.
It’s easy to come together; it’s a 30-minute meal with most of the work happening on a sheet pan in the oven. I buy a whole butternut squash, but you can definitely buy the pre-cut butternut squash and just cut it a little smaller to ensure it cooks at the same rate as the chickpeas.
Nutrition Perks
This is the kind of food I like to make, but there are some pretty awesome nutrition perks that come with this.
Fiber
Hands down, the biggest nutrition perk of this recipe. Aside from the dressing, every ingredient has fiber. Even more than protein, I’ve been focusing on getting more fiber everyday—I’m convinced it’s the one nutrient that is going to help me live longer.
Antioxidants
Since I love all the antioxidants, I’m going to group them all here. We’ve got vitamin C and beta-carotene, but also all of the polyphenols from the kale, chickpeas, squash, onions, and cucumber—I really should have called this the antioxidant bowl.
Magnesium
I’m pretty much looking for anything that will boost my energy levels these days and I’ve turned to pumpkin seeds to get more magnesium in my diet. Chickpeas also have magnesium and are already a staple food for me, so adding more here and there is definitely a good thing.
Time Saver Meal
There are two things I love about this meal that make it a time saver.
Sheet Pan
The squash, chickpeas, and red onion all roast together on one sheet pan, which is passive cooking time, but allows you to get the kale ready and the dressing made…and a little extra time for clean up.
Make-Ahead Meal
Yes, you can make this ahead of time and assemble when you’re ready. You can also meal prep this and put everything in a glass to-go container and eat it cold. The veggies don’t have to be hot, it tastes delicious either way.
Comment below if you make this and let me know if you like it, or if you changed it up!
PrintKale, Butternut Squash & Chickpea Caesar Bowls
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2” cubes
1, 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Zaatar seasoning
6 cups chopped kale
1 English cucumber, diced or sliced thin
1/4 cup dried currants, cranberries, or cherries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Dressing:
3/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add butternut squash, chickpeas, and onions to the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, zaatar seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat and roast for 20 minutes.
While the veggies are roasting, wash and spin dry the kale to remove the water.
Add all of the dressing ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth – set it aside until you assemble the bowls
When the veggies are done, divide the kale between 4 bowls and then divide all of the vegetables among the 4 bowls. Top with dried fruit and pumpkin seeds and drizzle the dressing over the top, leaving some on the side if you want more.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes