Spaghetti Squash w/Chickpeas & Kale

The more I cook with beans the more I love them. They are so versatile! I've used beans to make vegan chili, healthy Buddha bowls, spicy chipotle black bean burgers, and "refried" bean tacos. You can make fresh Texas caviar, serve up some crunchy roasted chickpeas for a snack, and go as far as using beans in brownies! The possibilities are truly endless.

I was recently introduced to spaghetti squash and immediately fell in love. I'm in awe every time I start scraping out the normal looking squash and gather up these little strings that are so similar to pasta. So what better way to use this awesome variety of squash than to mix it up with the, oh so amazing, garbanzo beans. Oven roasted, of course!

With this recipe we were trying to keep it more on the "vegan friendly" side. Normally I would slice up some grilled spicy chicken breasts and toss it all with a garlic white sauce filled with butter and milk. (If you try that, savor it for me.) However, even though we didn't use any meat and nixed the creamy sauce, it was still flavorful and satisfying. Definitely a hit that we will be making again. :)

Spaghetti Squash w/Chickpeas & Kale

1 spaghetti squash

1 bunch of kale

1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)

1 medium red onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

chili powder, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse and drain chickpeas.

Drizzle with a little olive oil.

 Toss with desired amount of seasonings. (I like to use quite a bit.)

Set aside.

Cut squash in half lengthwise.

Remove the pulp and seeds.

Place on one end of a large baking sheet face up.

Spread chickpeas in a single layer on the other end of the baking sheet.

Place in the oven for 40-50 minutes, occasionally stirring up the chickpeas.

While that is in the oven, clean the kale, slice the onion, and mince the garlic.

In a large pot, heat some olive oil on medium heat and toss in the onion and garlic.

When the onion is becoming translucent, add the kale.

Cook down until the kale becomes wilted, but not mushy.

Remove the squash and chickpeas from the oven.

Using a fork, scrape the squash out and add to the onions and kale.

Add the butter and chickpeas.

Season with salt & pepper and gently toss.

Serve immediately.

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Rinse and drain your chickpeas and drizzle with some olive oil until coated.

 Toss with desired amount of seasonings.

I generally toss my chickpeas with quite a bit of seasonings. I have really grown to love roasted chickpeas!

Set aside.

Cut squash in half lengthwise.

Remove the pulp and seeds.

Place on one end of a large baking sheet face up.

Spread chickpeas in a single layer on the other end of the baking sheet.

Place in the oven for 40-50 minutes, occasionally stirring up the chickpeas.

While that is in the oven, clean the kale, slice the onion, and mince the garlic.

In a large pot, heat some olive oil on medium heat and toss in the onion and garlic.

When the onion is becoming translucent, add the kale.

Cook down until the kale becomes wilted, but not mushy.

Remove the squash and chickpeas from the oven. (Yum!)

Using a fork, scrape the squash out.

It always amazes me how perfectly it comes out like pasta! So cool!

Add the squash to the onions and kale.

Add the butter and chickpeas. Season with salt & pepper and gently toss.

Serve immediately.