This stuffed acorn squash with fennel and mushrooms is a cozy and filling vegan and gluten free main dish or side dish! Acorn squash halves are roasted until super tender then filled with a cooked stuffing made with celery, fennel, mushrooms, pecans, rice, and lentils. Ready in about 1 hour, this meal is perfect for chilly nights.
I love eating sweet, dense, and earthy winter squashes when it’s cold out, especially when they’re filled with a super savory stuffing! Aside from the tender roasted acorn squash, you get a flavorful stuffing made with celery, fennel, sage, thyme, pecans, mushrooms, rice, and lentils. This stuffed acorn squash recipe tastes special enough for a holiday feast but it’s honestly perfect for any evening that you need something warm and filling. And, it’s one of my favorite ways to use up random odds and ends from the fridge like celery, stray herbs, and little bits of cooked rice and lentils. So, feel free to change up the stuffing based on what you need to use up!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
Since acorn squashes vary in size, I’ve written the recipe based on filling 2 large acorn squashes but you can use 3 medium ones instead. This recipe also works well with medium or large koginut squashes or delicata squashes as they both have a fairly large seed cavity and have edible skin. I always seem to have odds and end of leftover cooked rice and lentils which I’ve used here. To keep prep easy, feel free to use a small package of store-bought cooked rice and a can of cooked lentils. I really LOVE fennel so I use it every chance I get when it’s in season but if you don’t like it or don’t have any, you can sub in 2 medium carrots instead.
Stuffed Acorn Squash in 6 Easy Steps
SQUASH PREP TIP: lately, I’ve been loving cutting the acorn squash in half across the center, rather than from the stem down because you get to see the lovely scallops this way! They’re also a little easier to fill and tend to stay upright easier once filled.
Make a Meal out of it!
While I will often eat two of the halves (i.e. a whole squash) for a meal and call it a day, you can also serve these vegan stuffed acorn squashes as a main dish. And, you can cut each half in half again to make 8 smaller side servings if you prefer! If you’d like to make a cozy and filling winter meal with these stuffed squash, I recommend pairing them with this kale, apple, and celery salad (it’s ready in just 10-15 minutes without any cooking!) and these sweet potato corn muffins (which can totally be made the day before).
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Fennel and Mushrooms (vegan)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This stuffed acorn squash with fennel and mushrooms is a cozy and filling vegan and gluten free main dish or side dish! Acorn squash halves are roasted until super tender then filled with a cooked stuffing made with celery, fennel, mushrooms, pecans, rice, and lentils. Ready in about 1 hour, this meal is perfect for chilly nights.
Ingredients
- 2 large acorn squash, or 3 small/medium ones
- 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 small bulb fennel, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 2 tablespoons vegetable broth or water, plus more as needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Scrub each acorn squash well, then pat dry and cut in half through the middle, or from the stem downwards. Scoop out the pulp and seeds. Brush or rub the flesh with olive oil and season with salt. Flip the squash over so the cut side is facing down on the parchment lined baking sheet. Roast the squashes in the preheated oven for 35-45 min until fork tender. Remove the squashes and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
While the squash roasts, heat a large skillet or pan over medium. While the pan comes to temperature, remove and discard the mushroom stems then add the caps and the pecans to a food processor. Pulse several times until very finely chopped. Set aside for now.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Once shimmering, add the minced shallot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped elery and fennel along with a big pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, nutmeg, and finely chopped mushroom/pecan mixture. Cook until the mixture is reduced by about half and the pan is starting to look dry, about 10-15 minutes, then stir in the rice, lentils, and broth. If the rice is cold or hard, break it into smaller pieces with your hands before adding it. If the stuffing mixture looks dry, add a splash or two more broth/water, then remove from heat. Taste and add more salt as needed.
Carefully flip over the roasted squashes. Pack the seed cavity of each squash half with the cooked stuffing. Any extra stuffing can be served on the side. Bake the stuffed squashes for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until warmed through.
If you want, you can garnish the top of each squash with a few thyme and/or sage leaves for color.
Notes
- Leftover squash can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed within 5-6 days. Leftovers re-heat best in an oven or airfryer if covered with foil to keep the filling from drying out.
- Finely chop the thyme and sage first before measuring them for the recipe. If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1 teaspoon of dried sage instead.
- Walnuts can be used in place of pecans if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
- Category: Main
I love acorn squash, so I have to make this for sure. The flavors sound so delicious. I cannot wait!
I hope you enjoy it Eva! It’s arguably my favorite way to eat acorn squash 🙂
I made this for dinner, and it was delicious! It was a great way to use up some of the acorn squash that I had lying around.
So happy you enjoyed it and that you were able to use up some squash you already had!
Always love a good acorn squash recipe! Thank you!
I love acorn squash, too! So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Love this idea for a filling plant-based meal! Planning to make it for next weekend.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy them!