This Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl is easy to make and a healthy meal for dinnertime. It’s gluten-free and creamy without the dairy. This warming bowl is the perfect for those chilly nights when you need some comfort food!
When fall hits, anything winter squash calls to me. I love pumpkin, which you obviously know if you’ve been on my site a few times.
I use pumpkin in lots of my dishes like my Pumpkin Mac & Cheese, Sweet Pumpkin Hummus, Creamy Pumpkin Pasta, and Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (just to name a few).
Butternut quash is another tasty winter squash and it doesn’t always get the props it deserves so I thought I’d make a nice big bowl of noodles using butternut squash.
My Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl is healthy as well as tasty and I think you’ll really enjoy it.
Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl
This healthy Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl came together in about 20 minutes because I prepped a few parts of the dish already. I roasted the butternut squash during my regular Sunday meal prep and I pressed and baked the tofu the day before. FYI, for more info on my meal prep tips, check out my Vegan Meal Prep post.
For an even quicker meal, frozen butternut squash would work too, just heat it in a pan or microwave until it’s defrosted. You can sub in packaged pre-baked tofu too which you heat quickly in a pan or microwave as well just to get the chill off.
A Healthy Meal for Dinner
Butternut squash is a wonderful source of Vitamin A. With butternut squash, you’ll be getting the carotenoids that help your vision, have antioxidant properties, and reduce inflammation.
It also contains Vitamin C and fiber. Vitamin C is used to make collagen, speeds wound healing, and is another wonderful antioxidant.
Spinach gives us a nice dose of iron while the tofu adds protein and calcium. It’s beneficial to have vitamin C with iron because vitamin C makes the iron more absorbable.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you try it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback and rating.
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Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl
This Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl is easy to make and a healthy meal for dinnertime. It’s gluten-free and creamy without the dairy. This warming bowl is the perfect for those chilly nights when you need some comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil (a few TB of veggie broth if you do use oil)
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 c vegetable broth
- 2 c butternut squashed baked*
- 1 TB tamari or soy sauce if not gf
- 4 oz rice noodles
- 16 oz non-GMO baked tofu cubed*
- 2 c spinach
- Toppings:
- 4 tsp sambal oelek (Asian hot sauce)
- 4 tsp black and/or white sesame seeds
Instructions
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Cook noodles until they are just shy of al dente and set aside.
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Meanwhile, add olive oil, onion and garlic to pan and cook for 3-5 minutes.
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Add onion & garlic along with veggie broth, butternut squash and tamari to a blender and blend until smooth.
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Transfer the sauce to a large saute pan/pot and bring to a boil.
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Lower heat to medium/low, add rice noodles, and cook the noodles to your liking. If the noodles soak up more of the sauce than you’d like, feel free to add a little more veggie broth to make things saucier.
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Add to bowls, top with spinach, tofu, sambal oelek, and sesame seeds.
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Stir and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- I baked my butternut squash the day before by cubing it and baking for 30 mins at 400 degrees. You can also substitute pre-cooked frozen butternut squash that is heated in the microwave.
- For baking tofu: I use a 16 oz block, press the water out, season with tamari and garlic powder, then bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees.
- If you want, bake them at the same time!
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I’ve also made this Butternut Squash Noodle Bowl with silken tofu. The silken tofu doesn’t need to be cooked and blends in nicely to the creamy noodles. It’s another option if you need an even faster meal.
Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist helping clients thrive on a plant-based diet. Through her functional nutrition coaching, Mary Ellen offers a completely holistic and science-based approach to designing a healthy, plant-based life.
When she’s not working with clients or creating new meals for her blog, you can find Mary Ellen doting on her two rescue shih tzus, creating the perfect vegan mac & cheese, or exploring the world with her husband.
Dianne says
This looks like my kinda of comfort food!
MaryEllen@VNutrition says
Thanks so much Dianne!
awhiskandtwowands says
This looks good Mary Ellen! I haven’t had butternut squash noodles in so long, I’ll have to pick some up this week!
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Sarah!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
I really do like asian food, but don’t cook with it enough. This bowl is STUNNING! I’d love to have it for lunch.
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Julie! I actually have to stop myself from cooking Asian food every night!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
Looks delicious Mary Ellen! I like how you combined sweet butternut squash with spicy sambal.
Mary Ellen says
Thank Amy! I’m trying new flavor combos and this one really worked. 🙂
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks tasty. Butternut squash is always a treat, thanks for the idea
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Keith!
Jenn says
What a beautiful bowl of nutritious and delicious food! I would love a big bowl.
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Jenn!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Wow, this looks like the perfect winter meal – thanks!
Becky says
This looks like a cozy bowl of comfort food!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks so much Becky! It is!
Cadry's Kitchen says
I love noodle bowls. I’d be all over this!
Mary Ellen says
Thanks Cadry!
Mel |avirtualvegan.com says
I love quick and easy meals like this. They are perfect when you need something healthy but it’s been a long day and you can’t be bothered to spend too long cooking. It looks so attractive too. The colours are beautiful!
Mary Ellen says
Thank you so much Mel! There’s so many nights I don’t feel like cooking so these are the meals I make!
kimmythevegan says
Oooh this is a very creative use of butternut squash. I have some leftover in the fridge and now I know just what to do with it =)
Mary Ellen says
Let me know what you think Kimmy! 🙂