Spicy Butternut Squash Sando with Smashed Avocado

At the dead-end of New England winter, before we start climbing out into the springtime, there are limited options for fresh produce in the northeast states. Not to say that there aren’t some great options, such as beautiful winter squashes, cabbages, and spices to brighten our days.

All these hearty vegetables are known for stew, soups, or roasting, but why not give them the spotlight in their own sandwich? Butternut squash has a complex sweetness and meaty texture when cooked properly, and deserves more than being blended into a bisque. Simple cabbage can be flavored and bring incredible crunch to more than coleslaw.

To allow the most time to marinate, the recipe starts with aromatic and crunchy sesame slaw. Toasting the white sesame seeds fresh opens a unique nutty aroma that we can’t get enough of in the Test Kitchen. The use of both purple cabbage and green cabbage gives the best balance of color to not drip purple on everything.

The cabbage is then dressed with zippy red wine vinegar, more nutty toasted sesame seed oil, salt, and pepper. It’s that simple! Fun fact: cabbage can grow in all 50 states.

The spice blend in this recipe is probably the most important flavoring, as it brings heat, savoriness, and a touch of extra sweetness to the squash. Comprised of cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, MSG (very important flavoring), garlic powder, ground ginger, and kosher salt, it adds complexity to the squash and will be used for roasting as well as topping after. Inspiration is taken from Nashville hot chicken, but with the addition of ground ginger, which plays very well with the brown sugar and butternut sweetness. The key is layers of flavor!

Moving onto some housekeeping for the real star, the butternut squash. It isn’t advisable to refrigerate whole butternut squash; it will be fine for a month or more in

a cool, dark place, much like potatoes. Once it’s peeled, it should be stored tightly covered, refrigerated, and used within a week. When selecting a squash, look for one that feels heavy for its size; one with a fat neck and small bulb will have the smallest seed cavity, yielding the most usable squash.

You’ll be using the Forge To Table Classic Cleaver to slice the neck of the peeled butternut into ¾ inch thick rounds to be the main filling of the sandwich. During the cooking process, the spices will cook into the squash, concentrating the flavor and building new ones. It’s best to undercook the squash slightly, as it will continue to soften as it cools. You want a firm bite anyway, not a puree!

Butternut season lasts from early autumn until late winter so now is the time to use up the sweetest of the batch! This recipe only used about ⅓ of the whole squash, so use the rest on some butternut-bacon pizza, butternut-sauce pasta, butternut puree, or if you’re really feeling yourself, some homemade spiced butternut ice cream!

The final ingredient, avocado, is a bit of a cheater when it comes to this New England focus on winter produce, but luckily our friends in California keep these growing year-round! January through March is actually the peak of the season for flavor. It’s during these cooler winter months that the fruit has develops higher oil content, resulting in a buttery flavor and texture that is perfectly smashed into a delicious sandwich.

Put it all together, and there are layers of aroma, complexity, and spice while being completely meat-free. These sandwiches come together in just about an hour and are great for meal prep, lunch, or with a side of sweet potato fries for a delicious dinner.

In the traditionally meat-heavy winter recipes, we thought it would be a welcome change to feature a bright and colorful plant-based sandwich. Even though it’s vegan, it’s definitely not short on flavors, textures, or heartiness. Plus, avocados make everything better, right?

Spicy Butternut Squash Sando with Smashed Avocado

This colorful sandwich is packed with fresh vegetables and comes together in a snap. The natural sweetness of butternut squash is balanced out by a savory and fiery spice blend, cooled down with creamy avocado and crunchy sesame slaw. Let’s change the face of winter cuisine!

Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess

Forge To Table Knives

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

• 3 cups purple cabbage, shredded

• 1 cup green cabbage, shredded

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

• 1-½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon MSG (optional, but encouraged)

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 large butternut squash

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 each avocado, ripe

• Picked cilantro leaves, for garnish

• 4 each ciabatta or burger buns, toasted, for serving

Directions:

1. (SESAME SLAW) In a small dry skillet over medium heat, add white sesame seeds and toast until fragrant. Remove from pan. Using a Forge To Table Classic Cleaver, finely shred the purple cabbage and green cabbage and add to a large bowl. To the cabbage, add the toasted sesame seeds, red wine vinegar, sesame seed oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Mix well and set aside.

2. (SPICE BLEND) Preheat oven to 425F degrees. In a small bowl, combine the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, MSG, garlic powder, ground ginger, and remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix well to combine and set aside.

3. (BUTTERNUT ROUNDS) Peel the butternut squash. Using your Forge To Table Classic Cleaver, slice the neck of the butternut squash into ¾ inch thick rounds. Select the most even 4-6 rounds and reserve the remaining squash for another recipe.

4. (ROAST BUTTERNUT) In a separate small bowl, add extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the prepared spice blend and mix. Evenly brush both sides of each butternut round before placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet and placing in preheated 425F oven. (Alternatively, an air fryer at 400F degrees works!) Roast 6 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 4-6 minutes– the squash should be somewhat firm as it will continue to soften as it cools.

5. (FINISH BUTTERNUT) Remove the butternut rounds from the oven and let cool slightly. Sprinkle the remaining spice blend evenly over the butternut rounds, coating all sides for maximum flavor exposure.

6. (ASSEMBLE) Toast the ciabatta or burger buns, if desired. Scoop out half of the avocado and gently smash with a fork over the bottom bun. Top the avocado with a spiced butternut round, followed by a hearty topping (¼ - ⅓ cup) of the prepared sesame slaw. Garnish with a few picked cilantro leaves and finally the top bun. Enjoy immediately!

Chef’s Notes:

• If not using MSG, increase the amount of salt in the spice blend to 1 teaspoon total.

• If red wine vinegar is unavailable, rice wine vinegar works just as well.

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