These Spicy Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowls are flavorful, easy to make, and packed with healthy ingredients. They’re great for a cozy dinner or a vegan meal-prep lunch.
I enjoy summer but start craving cool, crisp fall weather toward the end. I developed this Spicy Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowls recipe last fall while prepping for my Mind, Body Soul Reset Challenge. They’re cozy, flavorful, and packed with healthy ingredients.
Spaghetti squash is classified as a winter squash, but I love cooking with it all year. It’s a great substitute for regular pasta and goes well in these Spicy Peanut Bowls!
Why Your Body Will Love These Peanut Bowls
- Digestive Health – The high fiber content in squash helps blood sugar levels, digestive flow, and weight management. Fiber also helps carry out the not-so-good cholesterol in the blood. Chickpeas offer an abundance of fiber, too, benefitting the digestive system, helping fill us up, and keeping our bodies feeling full for longer.
- Eye Health – Spaghetti squash contains antioxidants like Vitamins A, C, and E, which promote eye help, from cataract prevention to night blindness to macular degeneration.
- Blood Sugar Regulation – Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, giving them a low glycemic index. This means they digest slowly and don’t cause blood sugar levels to spike or rise too quickly. This makes beans a healthy choice for people with diabetes who need to control their blood sugar levels more.
Spicy Peanut Bowl Ingredients
- Spaghetti Squash – This recipe calls for one medium- or large-sized spaghetti squash for this recipe. I’ll share the best ways to cook your spaghetti squash below! If you can’t find spaghetti squash or don’t want to use it, you can substitute spaghetti or rice noodles. Or, you can combine a mixture of spaghetti squash and regular noodles.
- Chickpeas – I love adding chickpeas to my Asian-inspired recipes for extra protein. You can also use tofu or tempeh, but chickpeas are great because they don’t require any prep.
- Vegetables – These Spicy Peanut Bowls are versatile and can be made with any veggies you have on hand. I used broccoli, red pepper, and carrots to keep it simple. Other vegetables that work well are mushrooms, green onion, green pepper, cauliflower, and snow peas.
- Peanut Sauce – I make my own peanut sauce for these bowls because it’s really easy to make, but you can also use your favorite store-bought peanut sauce.
How to Cook the Spaghetti Squash
There are a couple of ways you can cook your spaghetti squash. Here are two of the methods I use most often:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place whole spaghetti squash on a metal baking sheet or in a glass baking container and cook spaghetti squash until you can easily pierce a fork through the skin, about an hour. Let the squash cool, cut it in half, and scoop the seeds in the middle. Then, use a fork to scoop out the spaghetti.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Use a sharp knife to cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds in the middle. Place each half of the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up, and rub with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place each squash cut side down and roast until you can easily pierce the outside of the squash with a fork, about 40 minutes. Let the squash cool, and then use a fork to scoop out the spaghetti.
Meal-Prep Spicy Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowls
I love using these Spaghetti Squash Bowls for meal-prep lunches!
Just put an equal amount of the spaghetti squash, veggie chickpea mixture, and peanut sauce into your meal-prep containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat your lunches either in the microwave for a few minutes or in a skillet on the stovetop until hot. I prefer to use glass meal-prep containers because they can go right into the microwave and even the freezer if you want to freeze them. If freezing, store in an airtight container for up to three months.
Have a question about this spaghetti squash recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll reply ASAP!
Looking For More Vegan Meal-Prep Recipes?
Chickpea Fajita Meal-Prep Bowls
Curried Chickpea Salad Meal-Prep Bowls
Roasted Summer Vegetable Meal-Prep Bowls
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Meal-Prep Bowls
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Spicy Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowls
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Spicy Peanut Spaghetti Squash Bowls are flavorful, nutritious and great for dinner or meal prep!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium sized spaghetti squash
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
- 3 teaspoons tamari
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- Salt and pepper
Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup room temperature water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 small clove garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- Chili paste, such as sriracha or Sambal Oelek (to taste, make it as spicy as you want!)
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut spaghetti squash in half, from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds. Rub each side with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place face down on a large baking sheet and bake until tender, 30-40 mins. Let cool and then use a fork to scoop out all the squash.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil, red pepper, broccoli, carrot, tamari and a pinch of salt and pepper. cook until softened, 5-7 minutes and then add in the chickpeas and cook until just warmed through, 2-3 minutes.
- Make the peanut sauce by adding all ingredients to a bowl and mixing until well combined. Line up 5 meal prep containers and add an equal amount of the spaghetti squash and then top with an equal amount of the veggies. You can either drizzle the dressing on each bowl or divide the dressing into small containers. Refrigerate bowls and reheat in the microwave or stovetop before eating. They can also be eaten at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Vegan, Meal Prep, Dinner
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian/American
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