Stuffed Acorn Squash
This Stuffed Acorn Squash is filled with a wild rice stuffing that's cooked in orange juice and folded in with sweet-and-savory flavors including dried cranberries, umami-rich mushrooms and crunchy pumpkin seeds. A festive way to present a main course for your vegan and vegetarian friends on Thanksgiving.
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If you’re looking for an impressive main dish to take center stage this Thanksgiving, try this Stuffed Acorn Squash. Filled with a wild rice stuffing made with cranberries, mushrooms and quintessential fall seasonings, this is a fantastic main dish for a vegan or vegetarian Thanksgiving menu.
This also makes a great Thanksgiving side dish, as the presentation is stunning and is served right out of the roasted acorn squash.
Why You’ll Love Stuffed Acorn Squash
The secret to this dish is orange juice. It’s stirred into the wild rice stuffing, and for an even bigger punch, you can cook the rice in half orange juice and half water. That acidic burst mixes well with the traditional flavor of sage and the earthiness of mushrooms and the squash itself.
The flavors are abundant, and your mouth will go on an absolute roller coaster ride of sweet and savory. Little bursts of dried cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds add so much texture.
Make it a complete Vegetarian Thanksgiving
Put Stuffed Acorn Squash at the center of the vegetarian Thanksgiving menu, and surround the table traditional side dishes. Vegetarian mushroom stuffing, green beans and creamy mashed potatoes will make this a plant-based Thanksgiving feast.
Don’t forget the easy mushroom gravy for pouring all over those potatoes and adding even more umami to the plate!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 stalks celery, fine diced (about ¾ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup orange juice, plus more to cook rice (see notes)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup sprouted pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon or ice cream scoop to clean out the seeds. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil onto the cut-side of each half, and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place cut-side down on the lined baking sheet, and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until squash is fork tender.
- While squash is roasting, prepare wild rice according to package directions. For a bigger burst of orange flavor, replace half of the liquid with orange juice (optional).
- Once squash is roasted, carefully remove about 1 cup of the squash – ¼ cup from each half – from the center. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once heated, add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add celery and mushrooms and continue cooking, until mushrooms release liquid and start to brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add minced garlic. Cook for another 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in cooked wild rice, ½ cup orange juice, cranberries, sage and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the reserved acorn squash to bind the mixture. Continue cooking until the orange juice is absorbed.
- Remove mixture from heat. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Spoon mixture into the center of each acorn squash half and place back on the baking sheet.
- Return to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until fully heated through and the top of the squash is beginning to crisp. Serve.
Notes
- Nut swap: Replace the pumpkin seeds with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Add protein: Fold in meatless sausage or canned beans of your choice. If you’re serving vegan guests, check the sausage label.
- More citrus flavor: Cook the wild rice using half orange juice and half water in place of the liquid called for on the package. This step is optional, since the ½ cup orange juice added to the skillet still gives the stuffing a bright citrus note.
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