Ultimate Stuffed Acorn Squash With Mushrooms And Chickpeas is perfect for the holidays. With mushrooms, rice, chickpeas and cranberries, this healthy autumn-inspired dish is packed with protein and fiber. This veggie stuffed squash is vegan and gluten-free, yet it’s sure to please meat eaters, too.
When grocery stores are overflowed with autumn squash, you know it's time to make something with it.
Butternut squash, acorn squash, Kabocha squash, oh my...there're so many to choose from.
I've been enjoying butternut squash in soups, salads or simply roasted.
Acorn squash on the other hand doesn't receive proper attention. This vegan stuffed acorn squash recipe with mushrooms, chickpeas, rice, and cranberries is a delicious way to use acorn squash.
This healthy recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free and so easy to make. It's also one of the best vegan mushroom recipes and you'll see why.
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💭 Why This Recipe Works
- healthy. Acorn Squash is packed with nutrition. It has a sweet, nutty flavor. It is rich in antioxidants which could potentially neutralize harmful free radicals. Acorn Squash contains nearly 9% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A which is beneficial for the eyes. It's also a good source of Vitamin A, B1, B6, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Dietary Fiber. Add chickpeas, apple, and walnuts and this vegetarian recipe provide ultimate nutrition.
- perfect for the holidays. Be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other occasion, this vegan stuffed acorn squash with rice, mushrooms, and chickpeas is ideal for a hearty and delicious fall-inspired meal.
- Tahini-lemon drizzle. It adds the perfect creamy touch to this vegan stuffed acorn squash. Thanks to it, this vegetarian dish looks festive and holiday menu worthy.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- oil. I love using avocado oil for cooking because it is a good source of monounsaturated fat which is linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, avocado oil is suitable for high heat cooking. (Make sure it says so on the label.) You can find avocado oil in any grocery store in the Cooking Oils aisle or on Amazon. Alternatively, you can use olive oil.
- herbs. You can substitute with dried herbs instead.
- mushrooms. In this vegan stuffed acorn squash with rice recipe I used Portobello Mushrooms but you can also use Cremini, Button or Shiitake mushrooms.
- chickpeas. To speed up the cooking process, I used canned Chickpeas. However you can also make this vegan stuffed squash with dried chickpeas. Make sure to soak them the night before and then cook until tender. You would need to use approximately ⅓ c of dried chickpeas.
- apple. I used Gala apple, but any variety will work. Preferably look for firmer apple types like Daisy, Fuji, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith.
🔪 Instructions
This vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash with mushrooms, chickpeas and rice is an easy recipe. If you want, you can even bake the squash and make a stuffing the night before and then assemble everything right before the mealtime.
- Prep the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the acorn squash on a cutting board and using a long sharp knife carefully cut it in half from stem to base. Using a spoon scoop out all seed-filled inside and stringy parts.
- Bake the acorn squash. Place the acorns squash halves on a parchment lined baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Optional - for a bolder flavor - brush each squash half with ½ tablespoon of Maple syrup) Roast the squash for 35 minutes or until it is fork-tender. Remove squash from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 F.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the rice. Rinse rice 3-5 times or until the water runs clean. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add rice, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat and simmer the rice covered for 10 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet and over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté stirring until it's translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until all liquid evaporates and mushroom start to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Combine the ingredients. Add rice, sautéed vegetables, rinsed chickpeas, dried cranberries and walnuts to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, make the Tahini-lemon drizzle. In a medium bowl combine Tahini, lemon juice, water and salt. Give it a whisk until the sauce looks creamy and set aside. If the sauce is too thick, add some more water.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. To the skillet with the mushrooms, stir in chopped apple, fresh thyme, sage, salt, pepper and cook for 5 minutes until the apple starts to soften. Remove skillet from the heat.
- Mix well. Using a spoon mix everything well until all ingredients are combined. Taste the stuffing to see if it needs more salt or pepper.
- Fill the cavities in the roasted acorn squash with the rice, mushrooms and chickpeas mixture. Return the pan back to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove vegan stuffed acorn squash from the oven and serve with a drizzling of Tahini-lemon sauce.
Hint: double up on the Tahini sauce. It's so good, you'll want to serve it over rice, beans, roasted veggies and so much more.
Substitutions
Few ingredients in this vegan mushroom stuffed Acorn Squash can easily be substituted.
- Rice - instead of white Basmati rice, you can use brown rice or even wild rice. Make sure to thoroughly cook it though as these types of rice take longer to cook. Not fan of rice? Use quinoa, barley or farro instead.
- Chickpeas. You can use white beans instead. Think Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans or Navy beans.
- Nuts - feel free to substitute walnuts with the pecans, chopped almonds or pumpkin seeds
- Cranberries - raising or dried cherries make a great substitute to cranberries
📖 Variations
This mushrooms and chickpea stuffed acorn squash can be customized in variety of ways.
- Broth - for a distinctive mushroom flavor, try cooking rice in mushroom broth. You can either buy it in grocery store or make it yourself using mushroom stems, onion, carrot and celery.
- Serving to non-vegans? - sprinkle stuffed squash with crumbled Feta cheese or goat cheese.
🍲 Storage And Reheating
Refrigerator. Let the vegan stuffed acorn squash cool to room temperature. Place it in a covered container and store for about 3 days.
Freezing. Cool the squash and then pack it tightly into a freezer-safe storage bag making sure to squeeze the air out. You can keep it in a freezer for about 2-3 months.
Thawing. Defrost stuffed acorn squash overnight in a refrigerator.
Reheating. Preheat the oven to 350 F, place vegan stuffed acorn squash on a parchment lined baking dish and then heat for 15 minutes or until heated through.
👩🏻🍳 Chef's Tip
When scooping out the seeds from the acorn squash, don't throw them away. You can reserve the seeds and then roast them for a yummy snack.
💬 FAQ
No, it doesn't need to be covered.
Yes, the skin of acorn squash is totally edible. Once roasted, the skin will be tender and easy to chew.
Grab a fork, dig into the rice mushroom-filling and making sure to get some of the delicious and tender squash's flesh too. You can also drizzle more Tahini sauce for a creamy bite. If you prefer not to eat acorn squash skin, scoop out all the filling and flesh of the acorn squash and leave out a thin shell of skin.
Yep. This recipe will also work with other winter squashes like butternut squash and Kabocha squash. Make sure the squash is tender and cooked completely when stuffing it with a rice-mushroom mixture.
If kept at cool temperature (50-55 F), raw acorn squash will last up to a month. If you keep it in a fridge, it will last about 2 weeks.
Making It Ahead Of Time
Roast the acorn squash up to 3 days in advance and store covered in fridge. The mushroom-chickpea stuffing can also be prepared ahead of time and then stored covered in a fridge for up to 3 days.
🍅 Serving Suggestion
This Vegan Veggie Stuffed Winter Squash with apples and cranberries is a hearty, healthy and flavorful dish that will a star of the Thanksgiving menu.
Here're some more dishes that will compliment this vegan mushroom and chickpea stuffed acorn squash.
For the starter, I recommend serving a light Creamy Asparagus Soup. It's not too heavy and you'll still have some room in your belly for the main dish. You can serve the soup in little soup mugs or bowls.
Next, I recommend freshly made Mushroom Stroganoff served over Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes is always a great idea. These are my favorites and they cook so fast.
As for the side dish, I recommend Sautéed Swiss Chard With Walnuts. It's my dad's healthy recipe and I make it on a regular basis. It will pair perfectly with my vegan stuffed acorn squash.
Festive meal won't be complete without a dessert. My Pumpkin Caramel Pie or Apple Tarte Tatin are sure to impress everyone.
🍴Similar Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Recipe
Stuffed Acorn Squash With Mushrooms And Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 3 acorn squashes
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- ½ c Basmati white rice
- ¾ c vegetable broth
- ½ c Tahini
- ¼ c lemon juice
- ⅓ c water or more to reach a desired consistency
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small onion finely minced
- 8 oz mushrooms finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely minced, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage finely minced, or ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 7 oz canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
- ¼ c walnuts chopped into smaller pieces
Instructions
Prep the squash
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the acorn squash on a cutting board and using a long sharp knife carefully cut it in half from stem to base. Using a spoon scoop out all seed-filled inside and stringy parts.
Bake the acorn squash
- Place the acorns squash halves on a parchment lined baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. (Optional - for a bolder flavor - brush each squash half with ½ tablespoon of Maple syrup)
- Roast the squash for 35 minutes or until it is fork-tender. Remove squash from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 F.
Prepare the rice
- Rinse Basmati rice 3-5 times or until the water runs clean. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add rice, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Lower the heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes.
Make the Tahini-lemon drizzle
- In a medium bowl combine Tahini, lemon juice, water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Give it a whisk until the sauce looks creamy and set aside. If the sauce is too thick, add more water.
Sauté the mushrooms
- Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet and over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté stirring until it's translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until all liquid evaporates and mushroom start to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients
- To the skillet with the mushrooms, stir in chopped apple, fresh thyme, sage, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook for 5 minutes until the apple starts to soften. Remove skillet from the heat.
Combine the ingredients
- Add rice, sautéed vegetables, rinsed chickpeas, dried cranberries and walnuts to a large bowl.
Mix well
- Using a spoon mix everything well until all ingredients are combined. Taste the stuffing to see if it needs more salt or pepper.
Fill the squash with the stuffing and bake
- Fill the cavities in the roasted acorn squash with the rice, mushrooms and chickpeas mixture. Return the pan back to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove vegan stuffed acorn squash from the oven and serve with a drizzling of Tahini-lemon sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Nina Kulish says
Beautiful and delicious.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Thank you!
Nikki says
What fabulous flavors and textures stuffed into these acorn squash. Definitely a Fall inspired meal I need to make for my family.
Iryna says
Thanks Nikki!
Tayler says
I made this squash for dinner last night and it was incredible! So full of flavor and I love that it's vegan!
Suja md says
We really like this recipe. Never knew it was this easy to make. Will be trying without further delay!
Vicky says
This is a great dish to serve to my vegetarian family for the holidays. I love how the dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness!