Free Weekly Meal Plans
Free Weekly Meal Plans
about
work with me
contact
  • Follow on Facebook
  • Follow on Instagram
  • Follow on TikTok
  • Follow on Pinterest
Peanut Butter and Fitness
    • All Recipes
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Brunch
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Main Dishes
      • Pasta
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Wraps
      • Sauces and Spreads
      • Side dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • High Protein
      • Low Carb
      • Vegetarian
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Turkey
      • Seafood
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grill
      • Stove Top
      • Oven
      • Sous Vide
      • Meal Prepable Recipes
      • No Heat Meals
      • Freezer Friendly
      • One Dish Meals
      • Easy Weeknight Dinners
      • Asian Inspired
      • Italian Inspired
      • Mediterranean
      • Southwestern
      • Fall
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Winter
      • Christmas
      • Pumpkin
      • Thanksgiving
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Game Day
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Quest for the Best
  • Meal Prep
  • My Cookbooks
  • Product ReviewsI’ll be posting a series of my “Quest for the Best” health, fitness and meal prep products here, as well as any cool products I find along the way so you can get the goods too.  If you’re interested in seeing any particular product recommendations, comment below!
Search
Recipes Cuisine Asian Inspired

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Rate

Author:

Erin

Published:

November 19, 2023

Updated:

August 19, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for details.

Introducing: Roasted Kabocha Squash with Sesame Ginger Dressing! Remember when I said I had decided to roast my way through all the varieties of fall and winter squash I could get my hands on? Well here we are with the next installment of that super informal/unorganized series. Don’t worry, I’ll wrap it all up into one post at some point 😉

  • What is Kabocha Squash?
  • How to Prepare a Kabocha Squash
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Shop for this Recipe
  • Recipe

For a lot of the squash I’ve been roasting, I’ve paired them with classic fall flavors – think sage and thyme, chopped nuts, maple syrup or brown sugar, etc. But because kabocha squash is a variety with Japanese roots, I wanted to take things a different direction for this recipe. Kabocha develops an earthy, slightly sweet flavor and a really creamy but fluffy texture when roasted, so I decided to pair it up with the bold flavors of sesame and ginger. The dressing has enough acidity and flavor to help brighten up that earthiness and complement the creaminess.

This recipe and styling for this post were inspired by this one over at Love and Lemons. They have a beautiful site with tons of vegetarian recipes – go check it out!

What is Kabocha Squash?

Also called Japanese pumpkin, kabocha squash comes in red and green varieties. It has a natural sweetness that is often compared to a combination of sweet potato and pumpkin. This inherent sweetness becomes more pronounced when the squash is cooked. Roasting it also develops a creamy and velvety texture. This smooth and dense flesh makes it ideal for purees, soups, and dishes where a rich, creamy consistency is desired. The skin is edible.

Kabocha squash has several nutritional benefits since it is high in beta-carotene, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. It can be stored in a cool, dry place for long periods after the autumn harvest, making it a great option for fall or winter cooking.

How to Prepare a Kabocha Squash

The first thing you’ll want to do when preparing to cook a kabocha squash is to wash it well, especially if you’ll be eating the skin. Then you’ll need to slice in in half from stem to bottom to expose the flesh and seeds. You can do this with a sharp chef’s knife, but kabocha squash is quite hard and a little bit awkward/unwieldy on the cutting board, making it a little dangerous to cut if you’re not careful. Here’s a tip to make it safer: stick that bad boy in the microwave first!

You only need a couple minutes in the microwave (though I’ve seen recommendations up to 5 minutes) to soften things up just enough to make it easier to butcher this tough squash. You may need to use a towel on top of the squash to help protect your hand from the heat post-microwave, but I was okay after 2 minutes in there. From there you can halve it, scoop the seeds, and slice!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Roasted Kabocha Squash at home:

  • Kabocha squash – I mean, this is obvious, right? You could definitely pair the dressing up with a different squash, but the roasting time is likely to be different. Mooooving on…
  • Olive oil – A little something to rub down the squash slices to encourage even browning. Use whatever neutral flavored oil you like.
  • Salt and pepper – Build that seasoning right on the squash wedges before you even add in the dressing to maximize flavor.

Sesame Ginger Dressing

  • Tahini – If you didn’t know, tahini is actually just ground up sesame seeds and has the texture of a smooth natural nut butter. Most commercial brands of tahini can be poured relatively easily once the oil is reincorporated by stirring. Using tahini as the high volume, creamy element in the dressing really helps build that sesame flavor without getting too overpowering like can happen with too much sesame oil. You could use peanut butter here instead, but I really like the sesame flavor of tahini.
  • Lime – The juice and the zest, please! I love the acidity and freshness of the lime to help balance out some of the deeper umami flavors in the other dressing ingredients. You can even use a lemon if you forgot to pick up a lime at the store.
  • Ginger – Obviously another banner ingredient for this recipe that you don’t want to skip or replace. I love the spicy zing of ginger! You can peel and grate it yourself or use those convenient ginger paste tubes you find in the produce section.
  • Mirin – If you haven’t tried it before, mirin is a lightly sweet Japanese rice wine that is a perfect complement to soy sauce. If you can’t find it or don’t want to buy it, try using rice vinegar and 1/2 tsp of sugar per tablespoon of rice vinegar used.
  • Soy sauce – Helps to both deepen the flavor of the dressing and adds volume. Be sure to use a low sodium version so things don’t get too salty!
  • Sesame oil – This is where the sesame flavor really gets hammered home for the dressing. You can use toasted or untoasted, but be sure to taste test before adding more! I’d say the 2 tsp the recipe calls for is the bare minimum to get the flavor to shine through, but if you want more, just add it cautiously 1/2-1 tsp at a time, continuing to taste as you go.
  • Honey – Just a touch of honey helps round out the flavors of the dressing. You could also use maple syrup, brown sugar, or regular granulated sugar.

Shop for this Recipe

Here are some items I used to help make this recipe a success.

Baking Sheets

Chef’s Knife

Spatula

Cutting Board

Recipe

No ratings yet

Roasted Kabocha Squash with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
Total: 45 minutes mins
Servings: 7 servings (3 wedges per serving)
Rate Pin Print
Servings: 7 servings (3 wedges per serving)

Ingredients

  • 1 Kabocha Squash, (1000 grams yield)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, (0.5 fl oz)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • green onions, sesame seeds, and microgreens for garnish

Sesame Ginger Dressing

  • 1/4 cup tahini, (2 fl oz)
  • 1 lime, juiced and zested
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger or ginger paste, (1 fl oz)
  • 2 tbsp mirin, (1 fl oz)
  • 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, (0.5 fl oz)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil, (9 grams)
  • 1 tsp honey, (7 grams)

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  • Wash and dry the outside of the squash, then microwave it for 1-2 minutes to make it easier to slice. Then cut the squash in half from stem to base and scoop out the seeds. Cut the halves further into 1-1.5" wide wedges.
  • Arrange the squash wedges in a single layer on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and rub the oil on to each wedge to evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Roast the squash at 400°F for 30 minutes, flipping if they begin to get too browned on top.
  • While the squash roasts, whisk or shake all dressing ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.

Tips & Tricks

Click here or scan the 1st barcode below to log the squash with dressing in My Fitness Pal. Click here or scan the 2nd barcode below to log just the dressing.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 3wedges, Calories: 148kcal (7%), Carbohydrates: 17g (6%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 8g (12%), Sodium: 258mg (11%), Potassium: 51mg (1%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 8g (9%)

Did You Make This?

If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my business thrive & continue providing free recipes. You can also tag me on Instagram at @peanutbutterandfitness so I can see your creations!

Rate Recipe

SQUASH WITH DRESSING

DRESSING ONLY (2 TBSP)

More Squash Recipes

  • Easy Roasted Honeynut Squash

    Easy Roasted Honeynut Squash

  • Roasted Delicata Squash with Cheese

    Roasted Delicata Squash with Cheese

  • Air Fryer Butternut Squash

    Air Fryer Butternut Squash

  • Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

    Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

browse fall recipes
18 shares
  • Share
  • Email
  • Yummly

About Erin

Erin is the author behind Peanut Butter and Fitness. She started this website in 2013 as a way to keep track of her favorite healthier kitchen creations and meal preps. Today, she still loves playing with her food and camera while helping others strike a balance between indulgence and well-being.

Read More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WELCOME

Hey, I’m Erin!

I like to describe PBF as a healthy eating blog with a dollop of indulgence. Here you’ll find high protein and veggie-packed meals with a side of cocktails and desserts.

Read more

MEAL PREP GUIDES

Get My Cookbooks!

Read More

Most Popular Recipes

  • Gochujang Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bowls

    Gochujang Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bowls

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake

    Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Shake

  • Protein Overnight Oats 8 Ways

    Protein Overnight Oats 8 Ways

  • 3 Cheese Pizza Chicken Bake

    3 Cheese Pizza Chicken Bake

High Protein Recipes

  • High Protein Hamburger Helper

    High Protein Hamburger Helper

  • Chicken Tzatziki Bowls

    Chicken Tzatziki Bowls

  • Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Chicken

    Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Chicken

  • Air Fryer Sesame Orange Salmon

    Air Fryer Sesame Orange Salmon

LOOKING FOR MORE?

Check out my books!

For more full in-depth guides to meal prepping, check out my meal prep books! With over 30 recipes each, these are perfect for starting strong!

Get them here

As Seen On:

Get Meal Plans in Your Inbox!

Subscribe to my email list to receive the latest recipes & free weekly meal plans!

Browse by Category:

Meal Prep
Breakfast
Dinners
Chicken
Drinks
All Recipes
  • Follow on Facebook
  • Follow on Instagram
  • Follow on TikTok
  • Follow on Pinterest
Contact
Privacy Policy
Disclosure
Accessibility

© 2023 Peanut Butter & Fitness

Back to Top

Design by MRD | Theme by OC

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required