There’s nothing quite like vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash during colder months. Filled with vegan sausages, vegetables, wild rice, and apples, every bite of this filling and hearty dinner makes you feel so cozy!
A bowl of Vegan Chili or a few Cabbage Rolls always warms me up when it’s cold outside but when the holidays or fall rolls around, I always pick Stuffed Acorn Squash over anything else. Flexible, filling, and so delicious, this simple recipe is absolutely bursting with so much good stuff!
Vegan roasted and stuffed acorn squash is always the right choice for dinner because it’s:
- Filled with hearty vegan sausages, wild rice, and savory herbs and seasonings
- Easy to make ahead of time and freezer-friendly
- Naturally gluten free
- Packed with protein and nutrients
Whether you choose to serve your vegetarian stuffed acorn squash for a fall-themed dinner or during the holidays, you can always count on each bite to warm you up and make you feel great. The recipe is done and ready to enjoy after a few simple steps!
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Sausage stuffed acorn squash ingredients
- Acorn squash - This delicious winter squash becomes so tender and nutty when baked. When you’re out shopping, look for acorn squash with dark green skin that has an orange or yellow-ish patch. It should also feel heavy for its size and be free of any blemishes or soft spots on the outside.
- Wild rice blend - I recommend cooking the wild rice in vegetable broth for more flavor.
- Vegan sausages - Beyond Meat sausages are my favorite to use here but you could use vegan ground beef, leftover seitan, vegan Italian sausages, or another variety or brand you love instead.
- Vegetables - A mix of onion, garlic, celery, red peppers, and mushrooms are cooked and added to the filling.
- Apples - Chopped apples add a delightful sweetness to the filling. Use an apple that will hold its shape, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Pink Lady.
- Dried cranberries - For a hint of tartness.
- Herbs and seasonings - You’ll need poultry seasoning, fresh rosemary, ground fennel, and fresh or dried parsley.
How to cut and prepare acorn squash
Lay the squash on its side and push a sharp chef’s knife in until you feel the hollow center. Move the knife down to the bottom of the squash, around, and back to up to the stem.
Scoop and discard the flesh and seeds from each squash half. Brush some olive oil inside, add a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and cinnamon, and they’re ready to bake!
How to make stuffed acorn squash
Ready for the most tender and filling roasted acorn squash? The acorn squash is steamed and roasted in the oven while you prepare the filling on the stove. It’s so easy to assemble:
- Roast the squash: Fill a baking dish with some water and place it on the bottom rack in your oven. Place the oiled and seasoned acorn squash halves cut side down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roast until they’re completely soft and cooked through.
- Cook the rice: Prepare the wild rice according to the package directions. Cook it in vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor.
- Make the filling: Saute the onions in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Next, add the garlic and vegan sausages. Once the sausage is cooked through, add the rest of the filling ingredients.
- Assembly: Stir the cooked wild rice and a splash of broth (if needed) into the filling and take it off the heat. Scoop some filling into each squash half, then serve and enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below
Tips for success
- The baking dish filled with water will help steam the squash as it roasts in the oven and keeps it very moist.
- Make as many adjustments to the filling as you like. Add in chickpeas or beans, quinoa instead of rice, vegan ground beef or vegan chicken instead of sausage, etc. The options are endless!
- Top each stuffed squash with chopped nuts or seeds, a squeeze of lemon juice, vegan gravy, or fresh parsley.
- Shred some vegan cheese over top of each stuffed squash and place them under the broiler for a few minutes to melt.
What to serve with vegan stuffed acorn squash
Stuffed acorn squash with sausage makes for a filling, nutritious, and delicious vegan main dish for the holidays or during fall. It’s like traditional holiday stuffing but taken up a notch! Roasted squash is best served with hearty, fall-themed sides, like mashed potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, more roasted vegetables, and salad.
Frequently asked questions
Acorn squash is a little sweet, nutty, and earthy. Its flavor isn’t quite as strong as butternut squash or spaghetti squash, making it the perfect fit for a flavorful and hearty stuffing.
Yes! Acorn squash skin is totally edible once roasted. This also means there’s no need to peel the squash before it goes in the oven.
You can prepare the wild rice stuffing 1 day ahead of time. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in a skillet before you’re ready to eat.
The roasted and stuffed squash halves can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When it’s time to eat, preheat the oven to 350ºF and reheat in a baking dish with a small amount of water on the bottom for about 15 minutes or until hot.
Yes! To freeze stuffed acorn squash, transfer the cooled and stuffed squash halves to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, place them on a baking dish and reheat in a 350ºF oven for about 40 to 50 minutes.
Looking for more healthy vegan main dishes?
Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
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Print
Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
There’s nothing quite like vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash during colder months. Filled with vegan sausages, vegetables, wild rice, and apples, every bite of this filling and hearty dinner makes you feel so cozy!
Ingredients
- 3 medium acorn squash
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Salt and pepper
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Oil (optional)
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Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Filling:
- 1 cup wild rice blend
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vegetable broth (for cooking rice)
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1 -2 tablespoons oil or vegan butter
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½ medium onion, diced
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3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
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2- 3 spicy vegan sausages, casings removed (I use beyond meat hot Italian)
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1 large celery rib, diced
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½ large red pepper, diced
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½ lb (227 g) mushrooms, chopped
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1 apple, cored and chopped
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⅓ cup dried cranberries, rough chopped
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1 and ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
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1 and ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
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½ teaspoon ground fennel
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1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, or ½ teaspoon dried
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½ teaspoon salt
See notes section for more filling and topping ideas
Instructions
- Prepare and Roast squash: Place a baking dish filled with some water on the bottom rack of the oven (this will steam squash and keep it moist).
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Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. If necessary, slice a small portion from the bottom of each squash so they sit straight in the pan. Brush oil on the inside of each prepared squash, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and a wee bit of cinnamon (optional). Place squash cut side down on the prepared sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until completely soft and cooked through (fork tender)
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Cook rice: While squash is baking, prepare rice according to package directions, using vegetable broth instead of water. I use my rice cooker.
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Filling: Set a large deep sided non stick skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onions with oil or butter and a pinch of salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes until softening. Add garlic and sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Fry until sausage is cooked.
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Add the celery, peppers, mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes then add in the rest of the ingredients and spices and cook for a couple more minutes. I like the veggies and apples to still retain some texture and are not mushy.
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Stir in the cooked rice, add in a splash of veggie broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
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Stuff the squash: Divide filling evenly among the squash. Return to the oven to reheat if necessary. Serve and enjoy! For step by step photos, FAQ, Tips and more see above post.
Notes
- Filling ideas: add chickpeas or beans, use quinoa instead of rice. Fry up some vegan ground beef or any other plant based meat instead of sausage, - seitan,... etc
- Topping ideas: sprinkle on some chopped nuts or seeds, and or add squeeze of lemon juice on top, or some shredded vegan cheese (return to oven broil or bake to melt -really tasty with vegan gravy)
- Make ahead: squash filling can be make up to a day ahead of time. Just reheat in skillet when needed.
- I use Lundberg wild rice blend
Filling adapted from my vegan stuffing recipe
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Category: Mains, Gluten free, Vegan Holiday Recipes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Mary Beth
Have you tried making the filling ahead and freezing it? We have a huge winter storm coming and our guests may or not be showing up for Christmas.
Verna Rindler
Hi Mary, no I have not tried freezing it, not sure how well that would work? If you go that route I suggest freezing without the rice. Make rice the day you're serving and stir it into the warmed mix before stuffing then squash. Hope that helps happy holidays 🙂
Mary Beth
Oops! Too late! 😁 I have made the filling, rice included. I will try freezing some of it (I have way more than I need) and let you know what happens. I have frozen rice dishes before, but the apples might be of some concern. BTW, the filling is delicious! Happy holidays to you as well.
Vicky
This was so delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank You
Verna Rindler
I am so glad you enjoyed it Vicky! Thank you for your wonderful feedback 🙂 so appreciate it!
Dawna
Excellent recipe! I skipped the vegan sausage and stored in a can of pinto beans. Such delicious flavours thank you.
Verna Rindler
So glad you enjoyed it Dawna thanks for your review, really helpful 🙂
Heidi
This recipe is so delicious! It’s such a comfort food. It’s my new go to!
Verna
Awesome thank you!
Marj
I am going to make this for sure ,looks delicious!
Verna
Thank you Enjoy!!