This vegetarian stuffed butternut squash recipe options wild rice, lentils, recent mushrooms, kale and cranberries and makes the right addition to your vacation desk.
Desk of Contents
Introduction
This stuffed roasted butternut squash makes scrumptious principal course or facet dish for holidays or on a regular basis, particularly served with the zesty parsley salsa verde.
It seems to be lovely on a Christmas or Thanksgiving desk and although there are a number of steps concerned, general it’s a straightforward recipe and may even be ready prematurely to save lots of time.
Stuffed squash is the last word wholesome consolation meals and positive to be beloved by the entire household. It’s heat, nourishing, satisfying, flavourful and so scrumptious.
This dish works effectively with facet dishes like Simple Vegan Stuffing, Roasted Golden Beets, Wholesome Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Inexperienced Beans.
For extra principal dish recipes, this Greatest Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie, Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers and Chickpea Meatloaf all work effectively for vacation meals or a hearty fall dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut Squash: You’ll want a big, roughly 3 lb squash. You would additionally use 2-3 giant acorn squash or different winter squashes (not spaghetti squash) for another. In case you can’t discover a bigger squash, 2 smaller ones work. You can too use 5-6 small squashes to make particular person servings that are enjoyable for serving.
- Maple Syrup: This may be substituted with agave syrup.
- Kale: I like kale over different leafy greens on this recipe however you possibly can substitute child spinach, Swiss chard or collard greens if wanted.
- Wild Rice: You should use wild rice or a wild rice mix. In case you can’t discover these, white rice or brown rice are additionally appropriate or you may substitute quinoa or couscous for a variation.
- Inexperienced Lentils: Remember to use brown or inexperienced lentils. This recipe just isn’t appropriate for pink lentils.
- Mushrooms: White, shitake or cremini mushrooms work. You should use a range for extra depth of taste.
- Shallot: Shallot is very nice on this recipe however you may use white or pink onion in a pinch.
- Cranberries: In case you can’t discover dried cranberries, raisins would work however tart cranberries work finest right here.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Use toasted pumpkin seeds if you could find them, in any other case uncooked pumpkin seeds (pepitas) work, or you may use slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts. These could be combined into the filling or sprinkled on high.
Please see the recipe card on the finish of the put up for the whole ingredient checklist with measurements.
Variations & Serving Concepts
There are many enjoyable methods to customise this recipe. Listed here are some concepts:
- Curried Stuffed Squash: Omit the thyme and bay leaf and add 2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne whenever you add the kale.
- Apple: You’ll be able to add 1 peeled and diced apple whenever you begin cooking the mushrooms. This may be added as an alternative choice to cranberries or an addition to the recipe. Inexperienced apples like granny smith work effectively however any apple selection can be utilized.
- Tacky: For further taste and creaminess within the filling or for serving, you possibly can sprinkle the completed stuffed squash with vegan parmesan cheese, feta cheese or goat cheese or combine as much as 1/4 cup into the stuffing.
- Tahini Sauce: As an alternative of the salsa verde, the squash would even be yummy drizzled with this lemon maple tahini sauce or miso tahini sauce.
- Gravy: Serve with mushroom gravy or miso gravy as an alternative of the salsa verde.
- Savory Herbs: Contemporary sage and rosemary make a pleasant addition. Attempt including 1 tbsp of both of them together with the the thyme and oregano.
- Beans: Attempt including 1/2 cup chickpeas or black beans to the filling for added texture.
- Vegan Sausage: So as to add vegan sausage, brown it within the pan earlier than cooking the shallot and mushroom. Take away from the pan after which combine into the filling whenever you combine every part up.
Step-by-Step Directions
There are a number of steps to the recipe, but when learn it over earlier than you begin, it’s best to have a very good grasp of the circulation so you possibly can maintain issues shifting and environment friendly.
For the complete written recipe you should definitely scroll right down to the recipe card.
Step 1: Roast the butternut squash.
For the roasting course of, minimize the underside and high of the squash off so you have got a flat floor on both finish.
Place the backside half of the squash in your slicing board and thoroughly minimize it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds out from inside the squash and discard.
Rub the squash flesh with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the maple syrup, season with salt and black pepper and place it minimize sides down on a big baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Roast the squash for 35-45 minutes, flipping over midway by, till the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. The baking time will differ relying on the scale of squash used.
Step 2: Cook dinner the rice and lentils.
Deliver the rice, inventory and bay leaf to a boil in a medium pot, then cowl and cut back to medium-low warmth.
Cook dinner for 15-20 minutes, then add the lentils and cook dinner for an additional 20 minutes, till the rice and lentils are tender. If there may be any remaining liquid you possibly can drain that off and discard the bay leaf.
Be aware that when you’re utilizing a distinct grain akin to white rice or quinoa, it gained’t want the additional cooking time that wild rice does, so you possibly can add the lentils and grain on the similar time.
Step 3: Cook dinner the greens.
Whereas the rice is cooking, warmth the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a big skillet over medium warmth.
When the pan is scorching, add the shallots and mushrooms. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook dinner for 5-7 min, stirring often till softened and golden-brown.
Add the garlic, thyme, kale and dried cranberries and cook dinner for 2-4 min, stirring usually, till the kale is tender.
Add the white wine or further inventory and cook dinner for 1 min, stirring usually and scrapping any brown bits off the underside, till the liquid has evaporated.
Step 3: Combine the filling.
Switch the kale-mushroom combination to a giant bowl and add the cooked rice and lentils.
Combine the dressing components collectively in a small dish till mixed, then add that as effectively and blend every part up.
Step 4: Stuff the squash.
As soon as the squash is completed roasting, fastidiously scrape a spoon down the “neck” of the squash, eradicating among the flesh, to create more room for the filling.
Roughly mash the eliminated squash into the bowl with the rice combination.
Spoon the rice combination into squash halves and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.
Pop the squash again within the oven for 5-10 minutes to warmth by.
Step 5: Non-obligatory parsley salsa verde.
The parsley salsa verde is non-obligatory however makes a wonderful addition to the ultimate dish.
In case you’d prefer to make it, add the shallot and vinegar to a bowl and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then add the remainder of the components and blend effectively.
Serve on the facet to spoon over your squash.
As soon as the squash comes out of the oven, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with the salsa verde.
Storing & Making Forward
In case you’re making this the day forward for a vacation meal, I’d counsel roasting the squash and making the filling the day earlier than and storing them individually.
About Half-hour earlier than serving, add the filling to the squash and reheat within the oven for 20-Half-hour at 350 F till heated by.
In case you’re making the salsa verde, it’s finest ready shortly earlier than serving, although the shallots and chopped up a number of hours prematurely.
Leftover stuffed squash could be saved within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. Leftovers are scrumptious reheated within the microwave or oven for a fast lunch or dinner.
Did you do this recipe? I’d love to listen to about it! Scroll right down to the remark part to go away a star score and evaluation.
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Description
This stuffed butternut squash makes a fantastic presentation for a meatless vacation principal or facet however is fantastic anytime of yr for a wholesome, comforting meal.
- 1 giant butternut squash (3 lb/ 1365 g or 2.88lb/1155 g after slicing and deseeding)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (15 g)
- 2 tbsp oil, divided (30 g)
- ¾ cup wild rice mix (145 g) – I used Lundberg Wild Mix
- ½ cup inexperienced lentils (100 g)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable inventory (591 mL)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups mushrooms, diced (170 g/6o z)
- 2 shallots, finely diced (98 g/⅔ cup)
- 3 clove garlic, minced or grated (18 g/1 tbsp grated)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cups packed kale, chopped (58 g)
- ¼ cups dried cranberries (30 g)
- ¼ dry white wine or vegetable inventory (60 mL)
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (35 g)
- ⅓ cup parsley, chopped (8 g)
For the Dressing
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
For the Parsley Salsa Verde (Non-obligatory)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped (55 g/scant ½ cup)
- ¼ cup pink wine vinegar (60 mL)
- ½ cup parsley, finely chopped (34 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (6 g)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ⅛–¼ tsp chili flakes
- ⅓ cup olive oil (78 mL)
- beneficiant pinch of salt
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put together Squash: Lower the stem facet and backside facet of squash so you have got a flat floor on both finish. Place the underside half of the squash in your slicing board, then fastidiously minimize in half lengthways. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Rub squash with 1 tbsp oil and drizzle with 1 tbsp maple syrup. Season effectively with salt and pepper. Place minimize facet down on the ready baking sheet.
- Roast Squash: Roast on the center rack within the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, flipping midway by, till flesh could be very tender when pierced with a knife.
- Cook dinner Rice and Lentils: To a medium pot, add wild rice mix, vegetable inventory and bay leaf. Deliver to a boil. As soon as boiling, cowl and cut back warmth to medium-low. Cook dinner rice for 15 minutes, then add lentils and cook dinner for an additional 20 minutes, till rice and lentils are tender. Drain off any remaining liquid if wanted.
- Cook dinner Greens: Whereas rice is cooking, warmth the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a big skillet over medium warmth. When the pan is scorching, add shallots and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook dinner for 5-7 min, stirring often till softened and golden-brown.
- Add garlic, thyme, kale and dried cranberries. Cook dinner for 2-4 min, stirring usually, till kale is tender.
- Deglaze Pan: Add white wine or further inventory. Cook dinner for 1 min, stirring usually and scrapping the brown bits from the pan, till evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine Filling: Switch kale combination to a big bowl. When rice and lentils are cooked, take away bay leaf, then switch to the bowl with the kale.
- Make Dressing: To a small bowl, add oil, balsamic, maple syrup, dijon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then whisk to mix. (Be aware: you may additionally add dressing components to a jar and shake rather well to mix.)
- Pour dressing over kale and rice combination. Add half the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to mix.
- Fill Squash: As soon as the squash is completed roasting, fastidiously scrape a spoon down the “neck” of the squash, eradicating among the flesh, to create more room for the filling. Roughly mash the eliminated squash into the bowl with the rice combination. Spoon rice combination into squash halves. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.
- Warmth Via: Return the squash to the oven for 5-7 min, to heat by.
- Make Salsa Verde: In case you’re making the non-obligatory salsa verde, add the shallots and vinegar to a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to melt (this takes the sharp chunk out of the shallots however is non-obligatory). Stir in the remainder of the components till absolutely mixed.
- Serving: Switch squash to a platter. Sprinkle remaining parsley over high and serve with the parsley salsa verde, if utilizing.
Notes
In case you can’t discover a big butternut squash, two smaller ones work!
To make forward: make the filling and squash the day earlier than serving. Assemble Half-hour earlier than serving and reheat within the oven at 350 F for 20-Half-hour till heated by. Leftover squash could be saved within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days. Reheat within the oven or microwave.
Vitamin information are estimated for 1 serving of 6 as a principal dish. I believe this might serve 8-10 for a facet dish, relying on the scale of your squash. Sodium content material will differ primarily based on inventory used and quantity of salt added. with out the broth and added salt, it’s 39 mg per serving.
Vitamin
- Serving Measurement: 1/6 of recipe
- Energy: 353
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fats: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
Key phrases: stuffed butternut squash, vegan stuffed butternut squash
