This mushroom stuffed acorn squash recipe is bursting with many of your favorite fall flavors. It’s also a very healthy dish that’s both vegan and gluten-free, and only takes an hour to make.
Stuffed acorn squash is one of my go-to recipes when autumn arrives. It’s the perfect blend of healthy and comforting, with familiar fall flavors that make both your tastebuds and your body feel good.
With mushrooms, carrots, nuts, quinoa, and squash, this dish is very hearty. But it’s lightened up with greens and pomegranate seeds, while maple syrup brings a sweet flavor to the table. All of those flavors marry together perfectly, creating a tender, mouth-watering vegetable entree. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free!
This is sure to become a frequently-made dish in your kitchen during the fall and winter. While it's easy enough to make any day of the week, it's also fancy enough to stand in as one of your Thanksgiving side dishes. Perfection!
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make this tender and moist mushroom stuffed acorn squash recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the exact quantities.
- Acorn squashes
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup – Make sure to use 100% pure maple syrup for this recipe.
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Shallots
- Olive oil
- Cooked quinoa
- Spinach – You can use other greens if you prefer.
- Pecans
- Dried thyme
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Nutritional yeast
- Pomegranate seeds – This is an optional garnish.
What Kind of Mushrooms Should You Use?
You can use pretty much any mushroom for this recipe. Hearty mushrooms work best, and I prefer to use button or baby bella mushrooms. But whatever you have on hand will work.
How to Make Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
The end result of this stuffed squash recipe might be a fancy dinner, but it's fairly straightforward and easy to make.
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Prep the squash. Cut off the ends of the squash, then cut in half widthwise. Scoop out all the seeds, then place face down in a baking dish. Rub the coconut oil and maple syrup into the squash.
- Bake the squash. Cook the squash in the center rack of the oven until tender, about 40-45 minutes.
- Chop the veggies. Add the carrots, shallots, and mushrooms to a food processor. Blend on high until the veggies have been finely chopped.
- Cook the veggies. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add in the chopped vegetable mix and sauté until the mushrooms start to release their juices. This should take about 2 or 3 minutes.
- Finish the filling. Add the quinoa and the spices, and cook until everything is warmed through. Then add the spinach and pecans, and cook until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast.
- Assemble. Fill each of the acorn squash halves with the mushroom and quinoa filling.
- Finish baking. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven, garnish with pomegranate seeds, and eat while hot.
Tips for Success
Here are some tricks and tips to follow, to make sure that your mushroom stuffed acorn squash comes out perfectly each and every time.
- Cook the acorn squash all the way through. The cooking times for this recipe are guidelines, not rules. Acorn squashes come in different sizes, which means they can have different cooking times. Be sure that you cook your squash until it is tender all the way through. You can check by poking it with a paring knife, which should slide through the whole squash easily.
- Don’t overcook the spinach. You want to cook the spinach until it’s wilted, but don’t overcook it or it will start to dry out. The spinach should be providing juiciness to the recipe.
- Don’t skimp on the filling. Having the right ratio of filling to acorn squash is important in this recipe. Don’t just put a dollop of filling in the squash. Instead, add as much as you can. You should be able to fit all of the filling into the four squash halves.
What to Serve With Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
This dish can be served all by itself. It has lots of vegetables, as well as a very healthy grain in quinoa. It hits a whole lot of nutritional targets. But it’s fun to serve it alongside some fall side dishes. Here are a few of my favorite things to serve with this stuffed squash.
- 5-ingredient sautéed garlic green beans
- Easy gluten-free veggie fritters
- Crispy roasted potatoes
- Spicy ginger sweet potato soup
How to Store and Reheat Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
You can keep this protein-packed meal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The stuffed squashes can be reheated in the microwave.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Absolutely! These mushroom stuffed acorn squashes can last for 3 months in the freezer. Just store them in an airtight container, and let them thaw before reheating.
More Deliciously Comforting Recipes to Try:
- Vegan Lentil + Quinoa Meatloaf
- 30-Minute Roasted Broccoli Chowder
- Nourishing Quinoa + White Bean Stew
- Glowing Winter Quinoa Buddha Bowls
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Whipped Sweet Potato
- Gluten-Free & Vegan Eggplant Lasagna
Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squashes
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 8 medium mushrooms button or baby bella
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups spinach or greens of choice
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Pomegranate seeds to garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Slice the ends off the squash, then slice each in half width-wise. Scoop out the seeds and place the squash, flesh side up in a shallow baking dish. Rub each half with coconut oil and drizzle with maple syrup.
- Bake on the center rack for 40 – 45 minutes until squash is tender.
- While the squash is roasting, add the mushrooms, carrots and shallot to a food processor. Process on high until the veggies are finely chopped.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable mixture and saute for 2 – 3 minutes until the mushrooms have started to release their juices. Add spices and quinoa and cook until quinoa is warmed. Add water if needed.
- Once veggies are cooked, add spinach and pecans, and cook until spinach has wilted.
- Transfer this mixture to a bowl and stir in nutritional yeast.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the four squash halves. Place back in the oven for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with pomegranate and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
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