Stuffed acorn squash is the perfect vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time you want something a little special! The wild rice tempeh salad makes this recipe sure to impress.
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Stuffed squash is a classic vegetarian/vegan main dish.
It's basically a grain bowl inside of a squash bowl. This makes for a showstopping main dish that I'm sure any vegetarian would be so happy to receive at a dinner party, Thanksgiving, or a special evening at home.
There's a lot going on here, but it's actually pretty easy to assemble and can be prepared a day in advance before baking. There are also lots of ways to customize this to suit your tastes, so make sure you check out those ideas below, or add your own ideas in the comments!
The nutty tempeh and fresh herbs give this that classic Thanksgiving flavor, and the wild rice has a wonderful texture and just feels like fall. The size of your squash will dictate how long it needs in the oven and how much of the filling you'll need.
The wild rice salad is good enough to eat on its own, but is next level when paired with the squash. The final bake is technically optional, you just want to make sure everything is warmed through.
Ingredients
- Acorn squash
- Olive oil
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Tempeh
- Wild rice
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fresh sage
- Fresh rosemary
- White wine (optional)
- Feta cheese
- Pepitas
- Dried cranberries
- Lemon juice
- Soy sauce or tamari
How to make stuffed acorn squash
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- If you need to cook your wild rice, start that now. You can find directions for how to cook wild rice above in the post or in the notes below.
- Drizzle the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and use your hands to rub it around evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 35-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and tempeh and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and sage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the wine to the pan and cook for 1 minute more.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the wild rice, feta, pepitas, cranberries, tamari, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- When the squash is tender, remove it from the oven, flip it cut side up on the baking sheet, and pack the salad into the hollow portions.
- Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400ºF until everything is warm.
Top tips
How to cut an acorn squash
Cutting a squash can be scary because they can be very hard and thick. I like to start with a large, sharp chef's knife (affiliate link).
Stick the point of the knife into the squash near the stem. Doing this in one of the lower points of the ridges can make this easier. I find that both of these tips help prevent the knife slipping, which could potentially cause injury.
With the point of the knife in the squash, hold the squash down with one hand and move the knife in a lever motion to saw it down the side of the squash. When you get to the bottom, remove the knife, turn the squash around, and repeat the process on the other side.
Even if you don't end up cutting all the way around the squash, you should be able to get it far enough that it will easily be torn apart. If your squash is still too hard for you to cut, you can microwave the whole squash for 3-5 minutes to soften it before cutting.
How to cook wild rice
I love wild rice as both a stand alone side dish and as an ingredient in other recipes. It takes almost an hour to cook on the stove top, so I always recommend cooking more than you'll need and using the rest for something else or freezing it for another time.
To cook wild rice on the stove top, first rinse it for 1 minute under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. Add it to a large pot and fill with water and a pinch of salt. I never measure either the rice or the water, just make sure you have more than twice as much water as you do rice.
Bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40-60 minutes until the rice is tender but still a little chewy and the grains have split open slightly. Drain the water from the pot, then return the rice to the pot, cover with the lid, and let rest for 10 minutes.
You can also cook wild rice in the instant pot. If this interests you, head over to my post on how to cook wild rice in the instant pot.
Grating tempeh
Tempeh usually comes in a brick. I like to grate it to help it blend in with the rest of the salad. To do this, use the large holes of a box grater to grate the tempeh into shreds.
Making this stuffed acorn squash vegan or gluten-free
It is easy to adjust this recipe to suit a vegan or gluten-free diet. To make it vegan, omit the cheese. To make it gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and check that your tempeh is certified gluten-free.
How to store
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Tips for customizing stuffed acorn squash
- Swap the wild rice for an equal amount of cooked quinoa, white rice, bulgur, barley, or farro
- Top the finished dish with thinly sliced green onions
- Swap the feta for goat cheese or shredded gruyere (check to see if your variety is vegetarian if this is important to you)
- Skip the cheese to make it vegan
- Leave out the tempeh or swap it for a can of chickpeas
- Swap the sage and rosemary for your favorite herbs such as thyme or parsley
- Drizzle the finished dish with my creamy cashew sauce
FAQ
Theoretically, yes, you could use a different type of squash for this recipe. However, each kind will have a very different flavor profile and cooking time, and will fit a different amount of salad filling. It is outside the scope of this post to break down the cooking time for each squash, but feel free to reach out with specific questions or make adjustments as you are able. The filling recipe would not change.
Acorn squash is one of the easiest squashes to identify. It has a bulbous shape, similar to an acorn, but with high ridges similar to a pumpkin. Acorn squash is generally dark green, usually with an orange spot that indicates it is ripe.
Yes, you can eat the skin of a cooked acorn squash.
More squash recipes
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Butternut Squash Puree
- Butternut Squash Rolls
- Butternut Squash Cake
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Crispy Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Butternut Squash Risotto with Kale
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto
- Winter Salad with Butternut Squash
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Pizza with Kale
- Pan Fried Butternut Squash Pasta
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces tempeh, grated
- 1 cup cooked wild rice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup white wine, optional, see note
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
- ¼ cup pepitas
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- If you need to cook your wild rice, start that now. You can find directions for how to cook wild rice above in the post or in the notes below.
- Drizzle the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and use your hands to rub it around evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 35-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and tempeh and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and sage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the wine to the pan and cook for 1 minute more.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the wild rice, feta, pepitas, cranberries, tamari, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- When the squash is tender, remove it from the oven, flip it cut side up on the baking sheet, and pack the salad into the hollow portions. I like to do one scoop to fill the hollow of the squash, then another rounded scoop on top. Depending on the size of your squash you may have a little extra filling. This is already cooked and safe to eat, so feel free to save it for another meal.
- Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400ºF until everything is warm.
Notes
How to cook wild rice
- If you prefer, you can cook wild rice in the instant pot. To cook wild rice on the stove top, first rinse it for 1 minute under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. Add it to a large pot and fill with water and a pinch of salt. I never measure either the rice or the water, just make sure you have more than twice as much water as you do rice.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40-60 minutes until the rice is tender but still a little chewy and the grains have split open slightly. Drain the water from the pot, then return the rice to the pot, cover with the lid, and let rest for 10 minutes.
If you don't want to use wine
- It's ok to just omit the wine if you don't want to cook with it, or you can replace it with an equal amount of vegetable broth or water.
Tips for customizing stuffed acorn squash
- Swap the wild rice for an equal amount of cooked quinoa, white rice, bulgur, barley, or farro
- Top the finished dish with thinly sliced green onions
- Swap the feta for goat cheese or shredded gruyere (check to see if your variety is vegetarian if this is important to you)
- Leave the cheese out to make it vegan
- Leave out the tempeh or swap it for a can of chickpeas
- Swap the sage and rosemary for your favorite herbs such as thyme or parsley
Jennifer says
Does this freeze well?
Lindsay Moe says
I have not tested freezing this, but I do think it would freeze great! Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking until warm.