Stuffed Acorn Squash

A hearty wild rice and tempeh salad packed into acorn squash halves. Vegetarian and easy to make vegan or gluten-free.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword stuffed acorn squash, stuffed acorn squash recipe, stuffed acorn squash vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 5

Cooking the wild rice 55

Total Time 2 30

Servings

Calories 430kcal

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.

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.

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.

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