Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash

This stuffed squash makes delicious main course or side dish for holidays or everyday, especially served with the zesty parsley salsa verde.

It looks beautiful on a Christmas or Thanksgiving table and though there are a few steps involved, overall it’s an easy recipe and can even be prepared in advance to save time.

This dish works well with side dishes like Easy Vegan Stuffing, Roasted Golden Beets, Healthy Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Green Beans.

For more main dish recipes, this Best Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie, Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers and Chickpea Meatloaf all work well for holiday meals or a hearty fall dinner.

Ingredient Notes

• Butternut Squash: You’ll need a large, approximately 3 lb squash. You could also use 2-3 large acorn squash or other winter squashes (not spaghetti squash) for an alternative. If you can’t find a larger squash, 2 smaller ones work. You can also use 5-6 small squashes to make individual servings which are fun for serving.
• Maple Syrup: This can be substituted with agave syrup.
• Kale: I like kale over other leafy greens in this recipe but you can substitute baby spinach, Swiss chard or collard greens if needed.
• Wild Rice: You can use wild rice or a wild rice blend. If you can’t find those, white rice or brown rice are also suitable or you could substitute quinoa or couscous for a variation.
• Green Lentils: Be sure to use brown or green lentils. This recipe is not suitable for red lentils.
• Mushrooms: White, shitake or cremini mushrooms work. You can use a variety for more depth of flavor.
• Shallot: Shallot is really nice in this recipe but you could use white or red onion in a pinch.
• Cranberries: If you can’t find dried cranberries, raisins would work but tart cranberries work best here.
• Pumpkin Seeds: Use toasted pumpkin seeds if you can find them, otherwise raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) work, or you could use slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts. These can be mixed into the filling or sprinkled on top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

There are a few steps to the recipe, but if read it over before you start, you should have a good grasp of the flow so you can keep things moving and efficient.

For the full written recipe be sure to scroll down to the recipe card.

Step 1: Roast the butternut squash.

For the roasting process, cut the bottom and top of the squash off so you have a flat surface on either end.

Place the bottom half of the squash on your cutting board and carefully cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds out from inside of the squash and discard.

Rub the squash flesh with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the maple syrup, season with salt and black pepper and place it cut sides down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Roast the squash for 35-45 minutes, flipping over halfway through, until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. The baking time will vary depending on the size of squash used.

Step 2: Cook the rice and lentils.

Bring the rice, stock and bay leaf to a boil in a medium pot, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, then add the lentils and cook for another 20 minutes, until the rice and lentils are tender. If there is any remaining liquid you can drain that off and discard the bay leaf.

Note that if you’re using a different grain such as white rice or quinoa, it won’t need the extra cooking time that wild rice does, so you can add the lentils and grain at the same time.

Step 3: Cook the vegetables.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 

When the pan is hot, add the shallots and mushrooms. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 min, stirring occasionally until softened and golden-brown. 

Add the garlic, thyme, kale and dried cranberries and cook for 2-4 min, stirring often, until the kale is tender.

Add the white wine or additional stock and cook for 1 min, stirring often and scrapping any brown bits off the bottom, until the liquid has evaporated.

Step 3: Mix the filling.

Transfer the kale-mushroom mixture to a large bowl and add the cooked rice and lentils.

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small dish until combined, then add that as well and mix everything up.

Spoon the rice mixture into squash halves and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.

Pop the squash back in the oven for 5-10 minutes to heat through.

Step 5: Optional parsley salsa verde.

The parsley salsa verde is optional but makes an excellent addition to the final dish.

If you’d like to make it, add the shallot and vinegar to a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Serve on the side to spoon over your squash.

Once the squash comes out of the oven, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with the salsa verde.

Storing & Making Ahead

If you’re making this the day ahead for a holiday meal, I’d suggest roasting the squash and making the filling the day before and storing them separately.

About 30 minutes before serving, add the filling to the squash and reheat in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 F until heated through.

If you’re making the salsa verde, it’s best prepared shortly before serving, though the shallots and chopped up a few hours in advance.

Leftover stuffed squash can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Leftovers are delicious reheated in the microwave or oven for a quick lunch or dinner.