Squash with Brussel Sprouts and Chestnuts is a classic Thanksgiving recipe. I make it year after year. It’s festive enough to make both a healthy Thanksgiving side dish as well as a wonderful vegetable dish for Christmas.
I love Squash with Brussel Sprouts and Chestnuts because it is an especially wonderful combination of fall vegetables. Sweet butternut squash (any winter squash is likely to work in this recipe), along with tender brussel sprouts and nutty chestnuts, combine to make a wonderful Paleo Thanksgiving vegetable dish that your guests will not forget.
Squash with Brussel Sprouts and Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- ½ pound butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1½ cups)
- ½ pound brussel sprouts, cut in half (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup cooked chestnuts, cut in half
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
Instructions
- In a 9 inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
- Caramelize onion, sautéing 10-15 minutes until golden brown
- Add brussel sprouts and squash to skillet, cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add water to skillet, cover, and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender
- Stir in chestnuts and salt
- Serve
When I make this dish each year I go on a massive hunt for shelled, pre-cooked chestnuts. Usually I can find them at one of our local health food stores, but trust me, I am relieved each year when I locate the chestnuts. Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving to me without one dish that contains chestnuts on our table.
Which Thanksgiving side dishes do you make a tradition of serving each year? Leave a comment and let us know what your favorite Thanksgiving vegetable dishes are!
Here are some other Paleo vegetable recipes that I like to serve as Thanksgiving side dishes:
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
All the foods I adore, in ONE dish! This will be happening on Thursday.
Alysia says
This recipe looks great. Brussels sprouts are probably my favorite thing on the planet. I included a link to this on my most recent blog post about recipes to serve at Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to try it.
Stacy says
Could you roast this in the over vs on stovetop?
Stacy says
oops I meant “oven” (not ‘over’).
Alisa says
Judy, there are several farms in the US that grow chestnuts and sell them online. However, the ready made ones in a bag all seem to be from China.
Elana, thank you for combining three of my favorite things into a hearty side dish. I will probably make this every week, since I regularly cook kabocha squash and brussels sprouts anyway, and my family loooves chestnuts.
Catherine says
Squash and sprouts are favorites of mine–now I’ll have to hunt down some chestnuts too!
Judy says
This recipe sounds wonderful, but I would not want to use chestnuts imported from China. Perhaps there are no USA harvested chestnuts due to the disease which killed off the trees(?), and I’m at a loss to suggest a substitute with the same taste as chestnuts. But other whole nuts, like pecans, might give the recipe a nutty crunch, or freshly harvested Jerusalem Artichokes are another possibility – still keeping the recipe paleo. Thanks for sharing your traditional favorite Elana!
Lynnette says
So you’re the one buying out the chestnuts right before i get there ;-) Thank you Elana for this refreshing recipe idea!
Oge | healthy food delivery says
Thanks for another great recipe Elena! I am a big fan of brussel sprouts, but in most recipes they are cooked with bacon fat, etc. This is a refreshing change. For thanksgiving, we usually do a variation of a pumpkin dish, either roasted as a side dish, in a salad, stuffing, soup or dessert.
Johanna says
Costco carries Gefen roasted and peeled chestnuts. The box comes with 4 packages, and it’s a great time saver from having to boil and peel them.
mimi says
i’m not a paleo person, but nonetheless this is one fabulous dish!