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!
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!