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    Home » Recipes » Holiday Mains

    November 2, 2019 33 Comments

    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

    5.4K shares
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    Today I've got a recipe for you that is easy enough for a weeknight meal, but fancy enough that you could serve this as the main dish at your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! Don't you love dishes like that? These vegan stuffed acorn squash are a perfect warming winter deliciousness and they can even be made ahead of time. Hello, stress-free holidays! So savoury and rich in flavour with layers of texture - this acorn squash dish is a bonafide winner and will please everyone at your table.

    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash! Easy to make and can be made ahead of time. The perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The squash is stuffed with quinoa, seasonal spices, nuts or seeds, and pops of sweet dried cranberry. Delish! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganthanksgiving

    I roast the acorn squash to perfection with slight caramelizing around the edges, yum. Then I enhance the quinoa with seasonal herbs, crunchy nuts or seeds, and chewy sweet pops of cranberry. I also add a tiny pinch of cinnamon which just adds the final oomph of deliciousness. The quinoa filling is so delicious that I've even made it all on its own just as a side dish. It's a celebration in your mouth!

    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash! Easy to make and can be made ahead of time. The perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The squash is stuffed with quinoa, seasonal spices, nuts or seeds, and pops of sweet dried cranberry. Delish! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganthanksgiving

    I'm a big fan of my stuffed roasted butternut squash and my puff pastry wrapped lentil loaf for a fancy main at the holidays, but honestly with a few garnishes on top, these vegan stuffed acorn squash present just as beautifully, and are a little easier to prepare..

    This recipe makes 4 halves, enough to serve 4 people. If you are having a larger celebration you can multiply the recipe as you see fit.

    To make vegan stuffed acorn squash:

    Prepare the acorn squash for stuffing by halving them and scooping out the guts and seeds.

    Cut the acorn squash in half and then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds and guts of the squash. (If you like you can sort out the seeds and roast them just like pumpkin seeds).

    Divide the oil over the 4 squash halves and use your fingers or a brush to spread the oil over the squash flesh. Bake cut side facing down on a baking pan for 25 - 35 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.

    If you bake cut side down, the acorn squash will get golden brown around the edges which I love. Or if you choose to bake it cut side up, the edges will stay yellow. I like to bake it cut side down for this reason, but bake it the way you prefer.

    The vegan quinoa is easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.

    To make the quinoa filling:

    Heat the oil in a large high sided pan or pot over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and just begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

    Add the quinoa and vegetable broth and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetable broth is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.

    Mix the quinoa with the herbs, nuts, cranberries and holiday spices

    Once the quinoa is cooked, stir in all of the remaining ingredients: the nuts or seeds, cranberries, thyme, sage, pepper, cinnamon, and add salt to taste.

    *I found the vegetable broth I used had enough salt so I did not need extra. But taste your dish and add more if needed. Remove from heat.

    Stuff the squash with the vegetarian quinoa stuffing.

    To stuff the acorn squash:

    Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among the acorn squash halves. Pack the quinoa it into the well of the squash. You may have extra quinoa leftover. Serve hot, and garnish with more fresh thyme or sage as desired.

    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash! Easy to make and can be made ahead of time. The perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The squash is stuffed with quinoa, seasonal spices, nuts or seeds, and pops of sweet dried cranberry. Delish! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #veganthanksgiving

    Serve with your favourite side dishes such as my cranberry sauce, cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes, onion gravy, green bean casserole, or just a simple side salad.

     

    Common Questions:

    Can stuffed acorn squash be made ahead?

    Yes you can. Allow the squash and quinoa to cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, cover in foil in an oven preheated to 400F (200C) until heated through. If you like you can remove the foil for the last 5 - 10 minutes to crisp up the top slightly.

    Can stuffed acorn squash be made oil-free?

    Yes! Simply omit oil on squash and instead line the baking sheet with parchment paper. When preparing the quinoa, sauté the vegetables in water or broth instead of oil.

     

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull

    Print Recipe
    5 from 19 votes

    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

    Easy to make with quinoa, seasonal herbs, crunchy nuts and seeds, and sweet pops of cranberry. They can be made ahead of time and are the perfect main dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadian
    Servings: 4 stuffed squash halves
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the acorn squash:

    • 2 acorn squash, halved and seeds scooped out
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    For the stuffing:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 2 cups vegetable broth
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
    • ¾ teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
    • salt to taste
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    Instructions

    To cook the acorn squash:

    • Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
    • Divide the oil over the 4 squash halves and use your fingers or a brush to spread the oil over the squash flesh. Bake cut side facing down on a baking pan for 25 - 35 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.

    To make the quinoa filling:

    • Heat the oil in a large high sided pan or pot over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions turn translucent and just begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and vegetable broth and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the vegetable broth is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.
    • Once the quinoa is cooked, stir in all of the remaining ingredients, the nuts or seeds, cranberries, thyme, sage, pepper, cinnamon, and add salt to taste. I found the vegetable broth I used had enough salt so I did not need extra, but taste your dish and add more if needed. Remove from heat.

    To stuff the acorn squash:

    • Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among the acorn squash halves, packing it into the well of the squash. You may have extra quinoa leftover. Serve hot, and garnish with more fresh thyme or sage as desired. See notes for making this dish ahead of time.

    Notes

    For oil-free: omit oil on squash and instead line the baking sheet with parchment paper. When preparing the quinoa, sauté the vegetables in water or broth instead of oil.
    To use dried spices: replace fresh sage with ¼ teaspoon dried sage, and replace fresh thyme with ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Note that the stuffing won't have pretty green specks in it.
    To make ahead: you can prepare the entire dish ahead of time. Allow the squash and quinoa to cool completely before covering and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, cover in foil in an oven preheated to 400F (200C) until heated through. If you like you can remove the foil for the last 5 - 10 minutes to crisp up the top slightly.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1stuffed acorn squash half | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2.25g | Sodium: 481mg | Potassium: 1091mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1076IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 4mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ann M. says

      September 11, 2022 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      I am eating this as I am typing this review. This was just the recipe I was looking for today! I got two acorn squash in my CSA share last week, and I needed a recipe. Like almost all of your recipes, Sam, I already had almost everything on hand. I used dried herbs instead of fresh, and it’s absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 13, 2022 at 3:26 pm

        Wonderful! So happy you love this recipe and many more Ann 🙂

        Reply
    2. Linda says

      November 03, 2021 at 3:28 pm

      We made this last night. The only thing I omitted was the cranberries. I used dried herbs rather than fresh. We found it devoid of flavor. It may be that the cranberries are essential and that’s why it did not go well for us. It was easy to make and, perhaps, with some additional spices would be very good. Also, I think making it with rice or other grain might also improve the flavor.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 11, 2021 at 8:54 am

        Hi Linda, the use of fresh herbs and cranberries are what provide most of the flavor, so by changing the ingredients, you are changing the outcome of the dish. Hope that helps.

        Reply
      • marge201 says

        December 05, 2022 at 8:46 pm

        5 stars
        I plan to omit the cranberries, too, but will sub mushrooms and add dijon mustard.

        Reply
    3. Shannon says

      March 20, 2021 at 10:19 pm

      I bought everything to make this when i went shopping today! Do you recommend serving this with your onion gravy? I will rate this when i make it later this week. It looks amazing!

      Reply
    4. Robin says

      November 24, 2020 at 9:14 am

      5 stars
      I made this as a casserole for a large family gathering last year. I followed the recipe other than chopping the squash. So good... everyone who tried it loved it.

      Reply
    5. Leanne says

      November 18, 2020 at 9:10 pm

      Could you freeze this?

      Reply
    6. Yulca says

      October 19, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      We simply love this recipe! We served it to friends in the past, just had it today as an easy weeknight meal (prepped on Sunday) & just decided to have it as our main course on Christmas this year. We used red kuri because acorn squash is not available here.
      So fast, so easy, so yummy, so fancy!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 22, 2020 at 11:23 am

        Thrilled you loved it, Yulca!!

        Reply
    7. Anita says

      September 29, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      I followed this recipe, except I left the oil out and added chopped mushrooms to the quinoa. Absolutely delicious! This site never disapppoints 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 01, 2020 at 11:44 am

        Aww so happy to hear that, Anita 🙂

        Reply
    8. Alex says

      January 25, 2020 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      Scrumptious! I had to make a few substitutions by using what I had available/off-hand. I opted to use favabeans, rice, and diced green bell peppers for the filling

      🙂

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 28, 2020 at 7:05 pm

        You're most welcome 🙂

        Reply
    9. Anne says

      November 16, 2019 at 7:40 am

      5 stars
      I served this last night using pot barley instead of quinoa. My guests loved it, and I'll serve it again for sure. Lovely fall meal.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 23, 2019 at 11:58 am

        Wonderful!! SO happy you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    10. Joanne says

      November 12, 2019 at 7:15 pm

      5 stars
      As soon as I saw this recipe, I was excited! I didn’t have a chance to make it until recently and I loved it! I only had one squash (I used Delicata) so I had leftover stuffing. I served it cold the next night as a side dish and it was delicious.

      I can’t wait to serve this to guests!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2019 at 6:24 pm

        Amazing! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Dawn says

      November 10, 2019 at 8:39 am

      5 stars
      I made this last week to “rehearse” for Thanksgiving, and it was dynamite! I didn’t have any quinoa or cranberries so I subbed in a brown and black rice blend with farro and barley (I batch cook it almost weekly so I always have something healthy to eat) and chopped tart cherries. My carnivorous husband loved it, too! Can’t wait to make it again at Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Dawn says

        November 10, 2019 at 8:47 am

        Oh, and I threw in some chopped Granny Smith apple in the mix, too!

        Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2019 at 6:07 pm

        Yay!!! Thrilled it was such a hit, Dawn 🙂

        Reply
    12. Marilyn Leisz says

      November 09, 2019 at 8:24 pm

      how do split the squash, I don't have a knife that sharp?

      Reply
      • Dawn says

        November 10, 2019 at 8:42 am

        If you put the squash in the microwave for 2 minutes or so, it’s much easier to cut.

        Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 15, 2019 at 6:04 pm

        I recommend getting an 8-inch chefs knife like this one. It's my number 1 kitchen tool!

        Reply
    13. Sam Turnbull says

      November 07, 2019 at 10:35 am

      Hi Sita, apologies, I forgot to indicate in my recipe that the herbs should be finely chopped. I have updated it now. You can certainly use dried spices if you prefer.

      Reply
    14. Sam Turnbull says

      November 07, 2019 at 10:06 am

      Hi Devon, you can absolutely use raisins instead. I would definitely recommend keeping some sort of dried fruit in there as it adds such a nice chew and sweet pop of flavour. Enjoy!

      Reply
    15. Hedwig says

      November 03, 2019 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this tonight, and it was really really good!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 07, 2019 at 10:18 am

        Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Hedwig! Thanks for the review 🙂

        Reply
    16. Joanne says

      November 02, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      Yay! I was just looking at my delicata squash and trying to decide what to do. I was a little bored with my mushroom, celery, onion, quinoa mix and then THIS popped up. I am so excited! PS - my favorite veggie broth is low sodium Pacific brand. I tell newbies to always have boxes in the pantry.

      Reply
      • Toni says

        November 02, 2019 at 9:28 pm

        Thank you for the veggie broth tip. Very helpful.

        Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 07, 2019 at 10:03 am

        Awesome! I hope you love it, Joanne 🙂

        Reply
    17. Leila says

      November 02, 2019 at 11:39 am

      This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I will be making it this weekend. Thank you for sharing your divine culinary talents. ♥️♥️♥️

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 07, 2019 at 10:02 am

        You're most welcome, Leila! I hope you love it 🙂

        Reply

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