The coconut and squash traybake is a simple, one-pan meal that brings together warmth, creaminess, and ease. With just five ingredients, it’s the kind of recipe that suits weeknights when time is short but comfort is still the goal. The dish combines butternut squash, basmati rice, green beans, curry paste, and coconut milk – all baked together in one roasting tin.

Traybakes are ideal for plant-based dinners. There’s no need to cook rice separately or use multiple pans. As everything bakes, the rice soaks up the spiced coconut milk and the squash turns tender and sweet. Green beans keep their bite, adding texture and color. It’s hands-off cooking at its best, with very little cleanup.

This recipe is from Five Ingredient Vegan by Katy Beskow. It’s quick to assemble, flexible with ingredient swaps, and reheats well the next day. You can serve it straight from the tin with a squeeze of lemon for extra brightness. Whether you’re new to vegan meals or just need a reliable traybake, this one delivers every time.

Read more: Sticky Marmalade Tofu

A comforting vegan dinner

This coconut and squash traybake is the ultimate one-pan comfort meal. Creamy, fragrant, and full of flavor, it’s an easy way to turn simple ingredients into a cozy plant-based dinner. Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal prep and maximum payoff.

a coconut and squash traybake with green beans

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Servings

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash peeled, deseeded and cut into 3cm (1in) cubes (about 500g/ 1lb 2oz prepared weight)
Handful of green beans trimmed
200 g (7oz) basmati rice
400 ml (14fl oz) canned full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp mild curry paste ensure dairy free
Generous pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Arrange the butternut squash and green beans in a deep roasting tin and scatter in the rice.
In a jug, mix 200ml (7fl oz) cold water with the coconut milk and curry paste until combined.
Pour this into the roasting tin, making sure it covers all of the ingredients. Cover with foil, then bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes until the squash is tender.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift off the foil. Season with sea salt before serving.

Republished with permission from Five Ingredient Vegan: 100 Simple, Fast, Modern Recipes by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £20), Photography © Luke Albert.