Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas
Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas with Pomegranate Guacamole is a healthy, hearty vegan dinner that’s on the table in under 45 minutes!
I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited about the beginning of a new year than I am this year. I love the holidays, but this year I was just excited about what 2018 will bring. I have many exciting ideas and projects that I want to work on, so we’ll see what happens!
I didn’t make any resolutions because I never do, but I do have goals.
Goals are good. 🙂
I’m also excited to be back in my regular routine, eating healthier and exercising more. Truthfully, last year I let work get in the way of my workout routine more than usual and I wasn’t happy about it. It’s a priority this year because when I exercise more I’m a happier person.
I didn’t eat too terribly over the holidays at least. I was forward-focused on healthy eating already when I developed this recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas with Pomegranate Guacamole back in December.
I knew right away that this would be the perfect meal to kick off the new year. Produce is my passion and one of my priorities is to create more plant-based meals this year.
I have no plans to go vegan — I’m simply reducing the amount of meat and animal products that I consume. I feel that it’s better for the planet and better for me.
Last year I posted my Grilled Portobello Mushroom Asparagus Fajitas and they were a hit. They were living proof that meat or cheese doesn’t need to be in the equation for great Mexican food.
These Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas with Pomegranate Guacamole are the same feel-good vegetarian Mexican fare, only this time the veggies are roasted.
I’ve found that roasting vegetables is a great way to get the pickiest eaters to enjoy them. As they roast, the veggies become so tender and caramelized that it’s hard not to eat all of them straight off of the sheet pan.
The butternut squash is the perfect combination with the onions and peppers, which become so tender and sweet. They’re tossed with nothing more than a few spices, olive oil, salt and pepper and are ready in about 35 minutes.
You can prep all of your veggies in advance and even roast them ahead and store in the fridge. Reheat during the week and you’ve got a healthy, delicious meal at the ready.
My 5-minute Homemade Guacamole is something that I make regularly, but I love to change things up different types of produce. I couldn’t help but think that pomegranates would be a great wintery touch to my guacamole, and that was definitely the case.
Pomegranates make everything so festive too!
Guacamole is one thing that I don’t like to make too far in advance because it’s best when it’s fresh. If you don’t have time to make guacamole, sliced avocado would be equally delicious.
I used soft-taco sized whole wheat tortillas for my fajitas and this meal easily fed 4 of us. Bear in mind that I have a husband and 2 grown boys and they can really put down the food. If your family doesn’t eat like horses, you’ll get more servings out of this meal. 🙂
I topped my fajitas with toasted pepitas because they add a nice crunchy texture and they’re a good source of protein. 1 ounce contains 7 grams of protein!
Black beans would be another great option if you’d like to add more protein to this meal.
These Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas with Pomegranate Guacamole are perfect served with fresh lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
It’s plant-based perfection!
Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas with Pomegranate Guacamole
Ingredients
For the fajitas:
- 4 cups butternut squash cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1 medium onion halved and sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 8 whole wheat soft-taco size tortillas use corn for gluten-free
- 1/2 cup toasted pepitas
- lime wedges and additional cilantro for serving (optional)
For the guacamole:
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1 small jalapeno chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
- salt to taste
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread out in a single layer and roast for 25-35 minutes or until the squash is tender and caramelized.
- While the vegetables roast, prepare the guacamole.
- Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in a medium bowl. Using a knife, slice the avocado against the sides of the bowl until it’s chunky (or mash with a fork if you prefer).
- Add the lime juice, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and salt and stir gently to combine. Gently stir in the pomegranate arils or simply serve on top.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave or in the oven after the vegetables have finished cooking. Top each tortilla with the roasted veggie mixture and top with the guacamole and pepitas.
- Serve with additional lime and chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Notes
- Prep all of your veggies ahead of time and even roast them in advance!
- Guacamole is best made within a few hours of serving time.
- This meal is customizable with whatever type of veggies that you have on hand! Cooking time will vary based on substitutions that are made.
- Add black beans to make this a more substantial source of protein.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
18 Comments on “Roasted Butternut Squash Fajitas”
I was terrible this Holiday season with my eating habits. So I’m glad to be back on track, too. I’ll have to try your veggie tacos. They look wonderful and they have all my favorite ingredients!
Helping myself by not baking much definitely helped over the holidays! Thanks so much Liz!
I don’t make resolutions either, and instead do goals. Much more manageable! I’m excited for the new year too, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store, Marcie! These fajitas are so creative, not to mention delicious, too. I’ve never had butternut squash like this before, and that guacamole is calling my name. Such pretty colors, too!
I’m excited to see all of the new things you’re doing this year too Gayle! Thanks and Happy Monday!
I love fajitas but it can be hard to find vegetarian options. I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made fajitas with mushrooms but never butternut. These sound to-die-for!
I love this recipe just as much as my grilled portobello mushroom asparagus one! Thanks Kelsie! 🙂
I cannot wait to try these fajitas! Yes to roasting the veggies to caramelized! Have you ever tried the corn and wheat combo tortillas from Mi Rancho? They would be perfect for these fajitas!
I have tried those tortillas and love them! ❤️
We are kindred spirits, Marcie! I am also trying hard to reduce our meat consumption – it’s better for us, the planet and our grocery bill 🙂 I’m looking forward to these plans you have for this year! These are a great start. My family loves roasted butternut squash , so I already know this is going to be a hit!
Glad we’re on the same page Katherine and I can’t wait to see what you cook up this year! ?
I lovveee these fajitas, they look so good,yum! give me all the veggies!
Thank you so much Manali! ?
Cheers to 2018! I let work get in the way of other life priorities in 2017 too, and definitely intend to get back to a balanced state this year…I’ve found my work flow is much better when other facets of life are dialed in. We’ve got this!
Loving these amazing fajitas! Such an awesome meatless meal for keeping things clean.
I’m 100% with you, I’m not vegan but I want to incorporate more veggie dinners into my diet this year. Your fajitas will be an excellent place to start! They look mouthwatering! Can’t wait to see what recipes you have up your sleeve in 2018!
I am so with you about goals. A much better way to look ahead IMO. One of mine is to try work on saying no to projects that fall outside the scope of where my business model is at its best. Good luck on bringing more exercise back into your life. That makes me happy too.