What's On the Side: Maple-Soy Roasted Acorn Squash

Celebrate the flavors of autumn with this delicious and easy-to-make Maple-Soy Roasted Acorn Squash.

Our local market is teeming with winter squash right now, and at least one squash finds its way into my basket every time I stop in for some groceries. Given that most winter squash can keep for up to a month (sometimes even longer) in a cold, dark storage space, I don't feel too terrible about my quickly-multiplying squash stash.

I like squash best roasted in the oven. For this recipe, I used acorn squash, which has a delicate nutty flavor. This flavor profile pairs rather nicely with the sweet and salty flavors of maple and soy. If you don't have pure maple syrup on hand (which, really, you should!), you could sub in honey instead.

Thin slices of acorn squash get brushed with a mixture of maple syrup, olive oil, and soy sauce and are then roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized. I think it tastes great hot from the oven or served cold from the fridge. Acorn squash has a fairly thin skin, so I don't peel it before roasting it, and even eat the peel. But you can easily remove the peel after roasting if you prefer.

This roasted acorn squash would make an excellent side dish with roasted poultry or another roasted meat. Or you could serve it with rice, braised greens, and glazed tofu for a delicious vegetarian dish.

Maple-Soy Roasted Acorn Squash (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 servings

1 small acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, and sliced in 1/2" half-moons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, and soy sauce.
3. Set the sliced acorn squash on the prepped baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to coat one side of the squash with the maple-soy mixture. Then season with salt and pepper. Carefully flip each half-moon over and repeat, so that both sides are evenly coated with the sauce. Drizzle any remaining sauce over top the squash.
4. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Serve immediately.