Savory Squash Breakfast Bowl
Chef Kirsten Kirby-Shoote’s roasted squash recipe is the ideal way to end a camping trip of extraordinary eating
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Good morning. It’s almost time to start breaking down camp, which means the fewer dishes, the better. Enter Kirsten Kirby-Shoote’s squash breakfast bowl. Its genius lies in the fact that squash is used as the bowl itself — so not only do you get smoky, squashy flavor, but you also have one less dish to wash. Kirby-Shoote’s secret to having a perfectly roasted squash ready for breakfast? She starts cooking it the night before on the coals of the evening’s fire. This low and slow cooking method lends the squash a “delicate smokiness from the coals,” Kirby-Shoote says, and makes it “a favorite for the great outdoors.” Like the squash, the chorizo-and-egg topping takes minimal effort to prepare. So in the morning, she says, all she has to do is “start my percolator of coffee, assemble the toppings, and feast.”
For an even more effortless start to the day, you can make both the yogurt sauce and the squash a few days ahead and store them in your cooler, and then reheat the squash over the coals for 10 to 15 minutes. (Pro tip: The leftover chimichurri from the previous night’s tacos makes an excellent optional addition here.)
Craving something a little sweeter? Check out our PB&J French Toast recipe.
Savory Squash Breakfast Bowl With Chorizo and Eggs Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons finely cut scallions and herbs such as parsley, mint, tarragon, and cilantro, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons water
2 medium acorn or small red kuri squash
16 ounces chorizo, casing removed (you can also use a substitute like Soyrizo if you don’t eat meat)
½ cup broth or water
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Step 1
Before leaving home, make the yogurt sauce. Combine the yogurt, ⅓ cup herbs, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest in an airtight container. Stir in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, thinning to desired consistency. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate or stash in a cooler until ready to use.
Step 2
Wrap the squash tightly in two layers of aluminum foil. Carefully place the squash directly on a bed of ashed-over coals, turning occasionally, until the squash is tender when gently squeezed with tongs, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the squash from the coals, unwrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle. (Note: The squash may be stored in a cooler, rewrapped in foil, for up to three days. You can reheat it, still wrapped in foil, over a medium fire until it’s warmed through.)
Step 3
While the squash cools, make the filling. Place a 10-inch skillet over a medium flame. Add the chorizo to the skillet and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and slightly crispy. Add the ½ cup water or broth and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until reduced slightly, 5 minutes.
Step 4
Make 4 indentations in the chorizo, crack one egg into each well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and let cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. Uncover and remove from the heat.
Step 5
To serve, cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and strings, and discard. Fill each squash half with a quarter of the egg and chorizo mixture, top with the herbed yogurt, and garnish with the remaining chopped herbs.
Kirsten Kirby-Shoote, a member of the 2021 Eater New Guard, is an Indigenous urban farmer and cultural food worker based in Detroit, Michigan. Dina Avila is a photographer in Portland, Oregon.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning