This creamy Asian vegan spaghetti squash recipe is so easy to make and is the perfect quick and easy dinner or side dish! Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, low carb, Paleo, Whole30, and grain free, this recipe is ready in about 20 minutes and is going to become a family favorite!
The creamy Asian sauce is so simple to make, and the rest of the veggies can be chopped and prepped while the spaghetti squash is cooking! No further cooking required! Perfect for meal prep too since this can be made ahead of time and can be served hot or cold!
Growing up, we didn’t have a ton of non-traditional American food at the table. Actually I think that fried rice, spaghetti and meatballs, and tacos were probably as ethnic as the food got at our house.
Now I love to try new flavors and dishes and love to try to recreate them at home with a healthier twist. This creamy Asian vegan spaghetti squash recipe is one of those recreations that makes me jump up and down with excitement because it’s so good and so easy to make! Faster and so much healthier than take out!
How to make spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash is a winter squash that once cooked, the insides of the squash make little spaghetti like strands that you can easily substitute out for traditional pasta. Although spaghetti squash is not a 100% replacement for pasta, it does really well if you are trying to add in more vegetables and reduce your intake of grains/carbs!
I’ve been enjoying spaghetti squash for years and my method of cooking has changed over time. I used to cut it in half and bake it in the oven for 45-60 minutes at about 400F.
But lately I have been all about getting dinner on the table FAST! So my go to methods now include:
- Microwaving
- Pressure cooking (Instant Pot)
- Roasting spaghetti squash rounds in the oven at high heat 450F
Check out this awesome tutorial on how to make spaghetti squash quickly!
How to make creamy vegan Asian sauce:
This simple sauce only requires a small bowl for mixing, no fancy equipment needed! Simply combine:
- Tahini or almond butter
- Coconut aminos
- Chili garlic sauce (affiliate)
- Lime juice
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Chili flakes
- Sesame oil
Meal prep tips:
This recipe is perfect for meal prep! You can make it ahead of time and it can sit in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also make the spaghetti squash ahead of time (on meal prep day) and store it in a glass container until the night you want to serve this. Simply reheat in a large skillet, chop the veggies, make the sauce and combine it all up in under 10 minutes!
Tips for chopping vegetables quickly
My go to gadget in the kitchen is the Insprializer (affiliate). It’s a vegetable spiralizer that I used to quickly chop veggies for dishes like pad thai, coleslaw and soups!
The spiralizer can quickly spiralize an entire cabbage into thin ribbons that can be easily added to this dish. You can also use the spiralizer to quickly chop up bell peppers.
- To spiralize cabbage: Remove the tough outer leaves. Place the base of the cabbage into the tongs of the spiralizer and the top of the head of cabbage against the blade. Spiralize onto a cutting board for easy clean up.
- To spiralize a bell pepper: Cut the top off the bell pepper (where the stem is). Using your fingers, remove the seeds and any extra pith inside the pepper. Place the tip of the pepper (that hasn’t been cut) again the tongs of the spiralizer and the open end of the pepper against the blade. Spiralize onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the pepper down into more bite size pieces.
How to make Creamy Asian Vegan Spaghetti Squash recipe in 20 minutes:
- Start by making your spaghetti squash using the microwave or pressure cooker (Instant pot).Use the instructions in post to cook spaghetti squash quickly!
- While the spaghetti squash cooks, spiralize or chop your veggies and make the creamy Asian sauce.
- Once the spaghetti squash is done cooking, carefully scrape the spaghetti squash strands from the skin and add them to a large bowl.
- Add the rest of the veggies and creamy Asian sauce and stir well. Allow to sit for 3-4 minutes to soften the veggies a little. Serve hot or cold.
- To make this a full meal add your favorite protein:
- Add shredded chicken
- Shrimp
- Canned salmon, tuna, or canned chicken
- Chickpeas
- Peanut tofu
Creamy Asian Vegan Spaghetti Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1/2 small purple cabbage
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3 tbsp chopped green onion
Creamy Asian Sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the spaghetti squash in the microwave or in the instant pot. Use the instructions in this post
- Chop the vegetables while the spaghetti squash is cooking
- Make the Creamy Asian Sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and combining with a fork until smooth
- Once the spaghetti squash is done cooking, carefully use a fork to scrape the flesh into spaghetti like strands. Add the spaghetti squash to a large bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir well (while spaghetti squash is still hot). Let sit 3-4 minutes to lightly cook the other veggies added.
- Serve hot or cold.
Nutrition
Kristin
May 16, 2019 at 11:10 amThis is one of the best meals I’ve tried in a while! So filling and delicious! I mixed the veggies up some, and used the sesame oil to saute the veggies instead of adding to the sauce – I licked the plate and rationed it out for other meals 😋 thanks for a great recipe!
Samantha Rowland
May 25, 2019 at 9:20 amThank you for that awesome review Kristin! So glad you loved this recipe as much as I do!