- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 4 stuffed squash halves
- Serving size: 1 stuffed squash half
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For a beautiful entrée that screams autumn, nothing beats stuffed acorn squash. Pecans, diced apples, and dried cranberries give the sage-scented brown rice filling an extra special touch, while a creamy tahini sauce adds tangy flavor. In this version, the squash and the filling are cooked separately, which takes less time than cooking it all at once. Any leftover filling makes a delicious pilaf or grain salad. Serve this vegan stuffed acorn squash with a leafy salad for a festive meal that’ll satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
- Quinoa-Stuffed Butternut Squash with Savory Gravy
- Garlic Squash Steaks with Herbed Pear-Potato Mash
- Butternut Squash Steak Supper
- Provençal Stuffed Onions with Lentils, Quinoa, and Kale
By Ashley Madden,
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 2 acorn squash or similar-size kabocha squash
- ¼ cup tahini
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- A pinch + ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or ¾ teaspoon dried sage, crushed
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- ½ of a Granny Smith apple (peeled, if desired), finely chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- Optional garnishes: chopped pecans, crushed red pepper, and/or chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions. Fluff with a fork, cover, and set aside.
- While rice cooks, preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half (from stem to tip); scoop out seeds. Place halves cut side down on prepared baking sheet; pierce the skin a few times with a knife tip. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until squash begins releasing some juices and the flesh gives when pressed. (Baking time will vary depending on the size and type of squash used.)
- To make tahini sauce, in a small bowl whisk together tahini, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin to a drizzling consistency.
- For filling, in a large nonstick skillet cook onion, celery, carrot, and ¼ cup water over medium 10 minutes or until onion is translucent and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the next five ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute more. Turn off heat.
- Add cooked rice to skillet with vegetables. Stir in apple, cranberries, pecans, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover to keep warm until squash are ready.
- Turn squash halves over. Drizzle a little of the tahini sauce into each squash half. Spoon rice mixture into halves, piling it high until it’s spilling out. If you like, drizzle with additional tahini sauce and sprinkle with garnishes.
Per serving (1 stuffed squash half): 426 calories, 71 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 14 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 335 mg sodium, 7 g fiber, 17 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (2)
(0 from 0 votes)what happens to the tahini sauce??
Hi Carol, You drizzle the tahini sauce into each squash half, and then more over the top. Sorry for the confusion, the last step got left off the recipe when it was uploaded. We've added it now. Thanks for letting us know!