This holiday side is so easy to throw together, make-ahead friendly, and so incredibly delicious. Sweat, creamy squash gets simply roasted until golden and scattered over a bed of fluffy lemony yogurt. It all gets topped with an herby, crunchy walnut scallion infused oil that you’ll want to scoop over everything!
Ingredient highlight
Winter squash! These dense, sweet, creamy root veggies are a great source of carotenoids (a precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium. They are a really nourishing food for athletes and runners because they contain electrolytes, are a great source of complex carbohydrates and immune-boosting vitamins.
P.S. Choose squash that feels firm with no soft spots and feels heavy for the size.
Servings 6 as a side
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs winter squash, seeds removed, cut into ½-inch thick wedges, cubes, or half moons (about 6 heaping cups)*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the walnut scallion oil:
- 1 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
- ½ cup finely chopped raw walnuts
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- *You can really cut into any shape you want, depending on the squash or your preferences. Acorn squash is best cut into wedges, delicata you can cut into rings or half moons, butternut you can cut into any shape. Just make it about ½-inch thick. I like to use a mix!
- Note: ~ you will have leftover scallion oil. It’s delicious for dunking bread or drizzling over veggies. You could also add vinegar and mustard to turn it into a vinaigrette.
- Make ahead tips! ~ mix together the lemony yogurt, make the walnut scallion oil, and option to roast the squash ahead. Just bring the squash to room temp or have it just warm before assembling (you can pop it in the microwave to just take the chill off).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F convection or 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the squash, oil, and salt to the baking sheet and toss to coat well. Arrange into an even layer, making sure each piece of squash is in contact with the baking sheet to get better browning. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash is deeply golden/charred.
- Meanwhile, to make the scallion oil, in a heat-safe bowl (metal works great), add the scallions, walnuts, and chili flakes. In a small pot, add the olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Heat the oil until it is very hot and shimmering. The moment you see it start to smoke a little bit, turn off the heat. You can also see if it’s hot enough by dropping a piece of scallion in the oil – if it immediately sizzles very aggressively, then it’s ready (see video).
- Immediately pour the oil all over the scallion mixture. It should aggressively sizzle/bubble. Give it a quick stir and let it sit to cool off for 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon and salt until smooth and creamy.
To assemble:
- Use the back of a spoon to smear/swoosh the yogurt on a serving platter or two large plates. Scatter the squash over top. Use a spoon to scoop the contents in the oil, draining off excess oil, and scatter it all over. Then drizzle some of the oil all over. Top with black pepper.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Deseed and cut 2.5 lbs winter squash into ½-inch thick wedges, cubes, or half moons (about 6 heaping cups)*
- Roast the squash
- Make the lemony yogurt
- Thinly slice 1 cup scallions
- Chop ½ cup raw walnuts
- Make the walnut scallion oil
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, use a vegan yogurt alternative.
- To make nut-free, skip the walnuts all together. You could use sesame seeds instead! You could also roast some pumpkin seeds separately and scatter them over top (I don’t think the hot oil would toast the pumpkin seeds enough to make them crunchy).
- Any variety of winter squash can be used. I actually like to use a mix of different kinds and shapes.
- You could really use any roasted root veggie here or even cauliflower or do a mix of fall or winter veggies.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
- Squash/yogurt: up to 4 days
- Walnut scallion oil: up to 7 days or 3 days at room temp
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- I find this dish best eaten at room temp, so take the squash/yogurt out and let it sit for a few minutes. If you stored the yogurt and squash separately, then just warm the squash up a bit in the microwave and serve. Drizzle with the walnut/scallion mixture/oil.
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