If you’re looking for a delicious way to welcome the autumn season, try making this vegan wild rice stuffed acorn squash. It’s a simple, easy recipe that’s packed with fall flavor.
It’s all thanks to the tasty combo of wild rice, kale, apples, crunchy walnuts, and dried cranberries. The stuffing also includes tempeh, which offers plant-based protein.
However, you’re welcome to customize the wild rice stuffing depending on your taste buds. Since acorn squash is sweet and nutty, it goes well with ingredients with similar flavor profiles. Think caramelized onions, dried apricots, and even a dash of cinnamon.
For a mouthwatering meal, enjoy this stuffed squash with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts or creamy vegan scalloped potatoes.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Acorn squash. In the grocery store, acorn squash is often sold next to other winter squashes, like butternut squash and spaghetti squash. It’s also known as pepper squash.
- Tempeh. Crumbled tempeh offers plant-based protein to this recipe.
- Wild rice. The nutty flavor of wild rice pairs beautifully with roasted acorn squash.
- Herbs. For this autumn recipe, go for fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme.
How to Make Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash
If you’re unsure how to cut acorn squash in half, rest assured — it’s easy if you use the right technique.
One method is to trim the top of the squash to create a flat surface. This way, you can place the squash on your cutting board (bottom side facing up) and slice straight through, lengthwise. Alternatively, you can trim the bottom to create a flat surface, then cut it lengthwise from there. In either case, it’s important to use a sharp knife. This will ensure you can seamlessly cut the squash.
Once you’ve cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds, and follow these instructions for making wild rice stuffed acorn squash.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Coat the fleshy sides of each squash half with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper, then place the squash on the baking sheet, cut side down.
2. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the flesh is soft, caramelized, and slightly charred.
3. While the squash is roasting, prepare the wild rice stuffing. Warm oil in a large skillet, then add diced onions and crumbled tempeh. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is tender and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Add diced apples and kale. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the kale is wilted.
5. Mix in the cooked wild rice, dried cranberries, walnuts, and fresh herbs. Sauté for about 1 minute, then taste and add more herbs or salt as needed.
6. Fill the roasted acorn squash with wild rice stuffing. You might have some leftover, depending on the size of your acorn squash.
Top with more fresh herbs and dig in!
Recipe Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
- Switch up the leafy greens. Instead of kale, try using spinach or arugula. You can even use a combination of leafy greens.
- Use different nuts. Pecans, pistachios, and almonds also work well in this recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, feel free to skip them completely.
- Try other meat alternatives. If you don’t like tempeh, or if you can’t eat soy, try using another meaty ingredient like mushrooms, chickpeas, or seitan. Another option is diced vegan sausage.
- Scoop out some of the squash. If you want to add more stuffing to each squash, scoop out some of the flesh first.
Can You Eat the Skin of an Acorn Squash?
The skin of acorn squash is edible. Plus, once roasted, it becomes very soft and easy to eat. But if you’d rather not eat the skin, you can simply scoop out the flesh while enjoying the filling.
How to Store Leftovers
To store leftovers, keep the stuffed squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, place the squash on a baking sheet, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it’s warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
- Roasted Brussels sprouts. For a classic fall meal, pair your squash with roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Vegan scalloped potatoes. This creamy recipe will complement the texture and flavor of stuffed squash.
- Smokey tempeh bacon. Elevate your wild rice stuffing by adding tempeh bacon.
Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash halved and deseeded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 1 onion small, diced
- 4 ounces tempeh crumbled or roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 apple diced
- 2 cups kale baby kale is preferred, roughly chopped
- 1 cup wild rice cooked
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons walnuts chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the fleshy sides of each squash half with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper, then place the squash on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the flesh is soft, caramelized, and slightly charred.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the wild rice stuffing. Warm oil in a large skillet, then add diced onions and crumbled tempeh. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add diced apples and kale. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the kale is wilted.
- Mix in the cooked wild rice, dried cranberries, walnuts, and fresh herbs. Sauté for about 1 minute, then taste and add more herbs or salt as needed.
- Fill the roasted acorn squash with wild rice stuffing and top with fresh herbs. You might have some leftover, depending on the size of your acorn squash.
Notes
- Instead of kale, try using spinach or arugula. You can even use a combination of leafy greens.
- Pecans, pistachios, and almonds also work well in this recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, feel free to skip them completely.
- If you don’t like tempeh, or if you can’t eat soy, try using another meaty ingredient like mushrooms, textured vegetable protein crumbles, or diced vegan sausage.
- If you want to add more stuffing to each squash, scoop out some of the flesh first.
- The skin of acorn squash is edible.
- To store leftovers, keep the stuffed squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat leftovers, place the squash on a baking sheet, cover it with foil, and bake at 350°F for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until it’s warmed through.
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Pretty much our main dish on Thanksgiving. It came out great! Crumbled Beyond hot sausage instead of tempeh since I don’t do soy products.
It was truly excellent.