Spicy Vegan Chickpea Lentil Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
With this Spicy Vegan Chickpea Lentil Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe, you can have a tasty, filling, low carb, plant-based dinner on your table in 40 minutes.
To me, each forkful of this Spicy Vegan Chickpea Lentil Stuffed Spaghetti Squash is like the perfect bite. In this dish, spaghetti squash is baked until tender and then loaded with a sauté of chickpeas and lentils that are flavored with garlic, onion, ginger, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, and zaatar.
It is quite a delightful fusion meal with Middle Eastern spices like zaatar mingling beautifully with South Asian spices such as turmeric and coriander, resulting in one incredibly flavorful and filling, plant-based meal.
This is one easy and tasty vegan dinner you can fix in around 40 minutes, give or take a few minutes for preparations.
Low in calories and high in fiber, Spaghetti squash is one of those versatile vegetables that can be baked to perfection in multiple ways.
But first…
How to safely cut a spaghetti squash?
When it comes to spaghetti squash, cutting through it can be tricky. It has a tendency to roll around on the cutting board. And, trying to cut it into half through the stem can be quite precarious.
As I am trying to hold onto all my appendages, I have found that cutting the edge with the stem off makes it a whole lot easier to cut the spaghetti squash into half.
Cutting both edges off makes it easier to balance the spaghetti squash on a cut side while slicing through it.
After that, I usually scoop out the seeds and tendrils using a spoon, and spray a bit of oil onto it, before cooking it.
How to cook spaghetti squash?
When I am tired and want to cut down on my prep, I usually bake spaghetti squash, cut side down on a baking tray in a 400-degree oven for anywhere between 40-60 minutes.
However, depending on the size of the spaghetti squash, I have found that this method can call for varying baking times. Which means, I am pulling that tray out, poking at the spaghetti squash to check to see if they are done, and then placing them back in the oven if they aren’t. There have been times when I simply forgot about them and they have been too overbaked and mushy to enjoy.
So when I want tender spaghetti squash that is ready in no more than 40 minutes, I have found that wrapping each spaghetti squash half in foil and baking them in a 400-degree oven, works best. There are no uneven spots and the resulting baked spaghetti squash shreds up into ever so tender strands.
For this recipe, that latter method is what I employed. And, as you can see, the resulting spaghetti squash was so delightfully tender.
And – it paired beautifully with the spicy chickpea lentil sauté I made to top it with. I opted to use a plethora of fusion spices to flavor the chickpea lentil mix along with what is referred to as the holy trinity of South Asian cooking: garlic, ginger, and onion.
What are the ingredients to make this Spicy Vegan Chickpea Lentil Stuffed Spaghetti Squash?
You need the following 15 ingredients to make this recipe. While 15 ingredients might seem like a lot, you probably already have most of these in your kitchen:
- Spaghetti Squash,
- Red onion,
- Ginger,
- Garlic,
- Oil,
- Chickpeas,
- Lentils,
- Celery,
- Coriander,
- Turmeric,
- Smoked paprika,
- Zaatar,
- Chili powder (option and can be omitted for a milder dish),
- Parsley, and
- Lemon.
This is a versatile dish and if chickpeas aren’t your jam, feel free to use beans or double the amount of lentils.
Or, use a meatless ground meat product.
If you are not following a plant-based diet, then use ground turkey or chicken (like I did in this Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe) instead.
The spices and garlic, onion, ginger combo is one I would try to stick to as they add so much flavor to this easy recipe. By the way, if you are looking for more recipes with zaatar, check out this easy dinner or lunch idea.
Did you try this recipe? Then please let me know in the comments below or share a picture of it and tag me on Instagram or Facebook.
Ingredients
- 1 Spaghetti Squash
- 1 Red onion
- 1 inch or so knob of Ginger
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 15- oz can Chickpeas
- 1 15- oz can Lentils
- 2 stalks Celery
- 2 tsp Coriander
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Zaatar
- 1 tsp Chili powder option and can be omitted for a milder dish
- 3 tbsp Parsley
- 1/2 Lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Cut both edges off the spaghetti squash, then place the spaghetti squash on the cut edge so it is stable and cut through to make two halves.
- Scoop out the seeds and tendrils using a spoon, and spray a bit of oil onto each half.
- Wrap each in foil and place on a baking tray with the cut side facing down.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until done (when prodded on the top, each half should give)
- While spaghetti squash is baking, prep the other ingredients.
- Peel and chop the onion, ginger, and garlic.
- Also, chop up the parsley.
- Rinse off the celery and chop it up as well.
- Drain the cans of chickpeas and lentils and rinse them in a colander under running cold water.
- Add oil to a pan and add in the onions and let saute for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, and celery and saute another 5 minutes
- Then add in the lentils, chickpeas, and spices such as zaatar, coriander, smoked paprika, chili, and turmeric and stir well until well incorporated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat and set aside.
- When spaghetti squash is done, carefully remove the tray from the oven and remove foil from each half, avoiding the steam released.
- Top each half with a mound of the spiced chickpea lentil saute and sprinkle on some fresh lemon juice and enjoy!
The flavour was great! Not sure where we were supposed to add the parsley. Our spaghetti squash took 50 minutes, but we are high elevation. Only downside, we found it quite dry, it needs some sort of moisture. Coconut milk- perhaps -or as many have suggested-fire roasted tomatoes, which sounds like a great option!
We really liked this! As others noted – I think adding the fire-roasted tomatoes and feta cheese (we used plant-based) truly make this recipe. Also – we added some kale and it was so good…next time, I want to try to add some chopped walnuts for some extra texture and an omega-3 boost! Thanks for sharing this!
Made this following the recipe nearly exactly–only difference was I cooked dried lentils because I couldn’t find canned, and I topped my serving with vegan mozzarella shreds. This was my first time cooking spaghetti squash, and I think it turned out perfect. All of the flavors worked great together. Only thing I would change is, the written directions could be a bit more clear. I didn’t read ahead, and in step 7, I chopped the ingredients and tossed them all in a bowl. Step 9, I tossed the chopped celery in that bowl, too. Then step 11, I find out the onions should be separate. There is no mention of when the parsley should be added – mix it in with the stuffing or only sprinkle on top? The photos on the site make it look like maybe the squash should be shredded up a little before adding the stuffing, but the recipe doesn’t mention this. I did not pre-shred, and I found it a little difficult to dig in and get a little of everything without just spilling the stuffing out of the squash. While I think a little more clarity could serve the instructions well, the recipe is still a keeper. Made a great meal. Thank you!
Very tasty, as well as healthy. Will definitely make this again. Didn’t have Zaatar so substituted standard oregano. Added half can of roasted tomatoes and, like another reviewer, added feta on top. The combination of spices in this recipe is excellent.
Really good, added my twist with roast tomatoes, Swiss chard and emulated Zatar with spice. Also had fresh turmeric that I added with the ginger. Mixed the squash with the stuffing mix and added feta. Baked to melt. Thank you this recipe set off my imagination.