Shrimp Taco Bowls with Roasted Butternut Squash

A fresh way to spice up a winter salad, these taco bowls are filled with spicy shrimp and taco-seasoned roasted butternut squash cubes. The components can be made ahead and assembled when you're ready to eat.

 Follow me | Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

Winter squash are one of the gems of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share. These long-storing vegetables (mine hang out in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve for 3 to 4 months) can be roasted and pureed and added to anything from muffins [Herbed Butternut Squash and Cottage Cheese Muffins] to soup  [Stupefyingly Simple Butternut Squash, Chicken, and Rice Soup] to waffles [Butternut Squash Waffles]. They can be peeled and cubed or sliced for a colorful side dish [Colorful Roasted Squash & Potatoes] or main dish [Roasted Winter Squash Tacos]. While I am not usually in the mood for peeling acorn squash, it's a dream to cube up a butternut squash. Alanna has an excellent tutorial here. Heck, you can even buy it peeled, cubed, and ready to go if you need.

I was envisioning a seafood version of taco night, and looking to my Strategic Winter Squash Reserve for inspiration, when I decided to toss butternut squash cubes with taco seasoning and add them to a taco salad. The chunks added a nice flavor and texture contrast to our bowls, which is always appreciated in a winter salad. The shrimp kept things interesting, and with the color palette you can tell this is not your typical taco salad.

I'd like to point out that, by spending some time putting up produce when it's ripe, we can eat locally-grown produce year round. In this recipe I've use home-canned salsa verde, tomato salsa, and pickled peppers. If you've never tried canning, Food In Jars is a terrific book, and website, to help take the intimidation factor out of trying a new technique. Pick Your Own is another terrific resource.

For more recipes using butternut squash, please see my Buttercup/Butternut Squash Recipe Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. This index is for folks like me looking for something a little different to do with the piles of squash stockpiled in the basement, or wherever you find yourself hoarding these terrific keepers. I've got a Pinterest board devoted to the squash recipes I find around the web, and I contribute to Laura's Winter Squash Lovin' board. Follow me on Pinterest for more recipe ideas.  Want to see what's up in my day? Follow me on Instagram. Want to read something that I thought worthy to share? Follow and Like my Facebook page. Want to know How To Use This Blog?

Ignore the meat--that was for a pizza I'm working on!

Shrimp Taco Bowls with Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed, tossed with cooking oil and 1 to 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning, then roasted at 400 on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet for 20-30 minutes
• tortilla bowls, prepared according to package directions (or try this method)
• 1 dozen cooked peeled shrimp (we eat about 3 to 4 shrimp per person)
• ½ cup salsa verde
• 1 cup salad greens (or more) per person
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• toppings: tomato salsa, pickled jalapeños, shredded Mexican blend cheese, kalamata olives, sour cream or crema

Instructions

1. If you haven't roasted your squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and do that, then set aside to cool.
2. Bake your tortilla bowls and set aside to cool.
3. Toss the shrimp with the salsa verde and set aside.
4. Place the salad greens into each tortilla bowl. Top with squash cubes and seasoned shrimp.
5. Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves over top. I like these herb scissors when chopping small amounts of herbs.(Amazon affiliate link)
6. Set out toppings and let folks decorate their salads to individual preference. I found that the tomato salsa and salsa verde were enough dressing, but my daughter preferred sour cream mixed in.