Maple Sea Salt Butternut Squash with Sage Cashew Cream

Roasted Maple Sea Salt Butternut Squash drizzled with Sage Cashew Cream, tart dried cherries, and toasted almonds…basically all of the colors and flavors of Fall on a plate!

This plant-based vegan recipe makes for an easy but delicious Thanksgiving or Holiday side dish. It’s made with thick slices of roasted butternut squash tossed with maple syrup, sea salt and a touch of olive oil and it’s topped with tart cherries, toasted almonds and a decadent drizzle of Sage Cashew Cream!

What makes this recipe so special? The mix of textures! The squash is tender, the cherries are chewy, the almonds are crunchy and the silky-smooth sage sauce ties it all together. Each bite is dynamic and interesting with contrasting textures and flavors. It’s sweet, salty, tart and savory all in one!

This easy dish is simply delicious and tastes like all the best Autumn has to offer!

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If you have leftovers (and that’s a big “if”) it’s great served over mixed greens for a quick Fall inspired salad and to be honest, I’ve been known to eat the leftovers straight of the container because this dish is good cold too. Serve it hot, room temperature, or chilled…it’s all good and I really think you’ll love it as much as I do!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Maple Sea Salt Butternut Squash with Cashew Cream

Nicole Vranjican

Roasted Maple Sea Salted Butternut Squash drizzled with Sage Cashew Cream and topped with sweet and tart dried cherries and nutty toasted almonds for crunch! It's an all vegan side dish that's perfect for Thanksgiving or the Holidays!

5 from 1 vote

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 medium butternut squashes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Sage Cashew Cream Sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews soaked
• 1 tsp kosher salt I use Morton's
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp onion granueles
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Toppings

• 2 handfuls sliced almonds
• 2 handfuls dried tart cherries
• 1 handful finely chopped parsley

Instructions

 

Prep

• Soak the cashews overnight or pour boiling hot water over them and let it sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

  Next preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  Peel the squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Then slice into 3/4 inch half moon shapped slices. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Roast

• Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, olive oil and maple syrup to the bowl with the squash and toss to coat evenly.

  Transfer to a lined cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Make the Sauce

• In the meantime, drain the water from the cashews and place the nuts in a blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth…and my tip is to blend for a little longer than you think you need to, this helps to emulsify the sauce and make it extra smooth and creamy!

  Set the sauce aside for now.

Plate

• While the squash is roasting, finely chop the parsley.

  When the squash is tender, transfer to a large plate or platter and drizzle generously with 3/4 of the sauce. Top with the chopped parsley, sliced almonds, and dried cherries.

  I sometimes to an extra pinch of salt and pepper on top too!

  Serve with the remaining sauce on the side and enjoy!

If you like this recipe please leave a comment and rate this post below! And if you’re on Instagram, tag me in a pic so I can see your recreation! @nikkivegan  

For more free vegan recipes, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel here.

Nicole Vranjican

Hey! I’m Nicole and I make practical vegan recipes for REAL life. I cook with simple, easy to find ingredients and I’m passionate about creating delicious plant-based meals that everyone will love!

I hope you enjoy my recipes and videos :) Happy Cooking!

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