Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash

Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash Ingredients

You only need simple, budget-friendly ingredients for this vegan stuffed butternut squash. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

• Butternut squash: Use 2 small to medium squash (about 2 pounds, or 900 g, each) with an even shape. Look for ones that feel heavy for their size, with smooth skin and no soft spots. New to cooking squash? Here’s how to roast butternut squash.
• Oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper: Rubbed into the squash before roasting. The cinnamon is optional, but it adds a warm, sweet note.
• Red onion: Sautéed with the quinoa for a sweet, savory base.
• Garlic powder: Seasons both the quinoa and the mushroom-chickpea mixture.
• Quinoa: Rinse it well before cooking to remove its natural bitter coating. It cooks up fluffy and adds plant-based protein.
• Water and bouillon cube: The quinoa cooks in water with an optional low-sodium bouillon cube for extra flavor.
• Mushrooms: Finely chopped so they cook down into a rich, savory filling. Any everyday mushrooms work.
• Dried thyme: Adds a classic holiday herb flavor.
• Tomato paste: Gives the chickpea mixture rich, savory depth.
• Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, add protein and a hearty bite.
• Lemon juice: A squeeze at the end balances the rich filling.
• Fresh parsley and thyme: An optional garnish for color and freshness.

Recipe Variations

This vegan stuffed butternut squash is incredibly versatile. Along with changing the grain (see the FAQs), you could also add:

• Spices: Switch up the flavor with paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, chili powder, or nutritional yeast. For extra sweetness, brush the squash lightly with maple syrup.
• Fruit: Add cranberries (cook them with the quinoa to plump them up), pomegranate seeds, or sautéed apple or pear for a sweet and savory Thanksgiving main.
• Nuts and seeds: Add crunch with toasted pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, or pepitas. They taste great paired with fruit, too.
• Greens: Bulk up the filling with sautéed kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens.
• Other vegetables: Replace or add to the mushrooms with carrot, celery, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, zucchini, or bell pepper. Olives add a salty, savory bite.
• Vegan sausage: Crumbled or sliced, for even more savory flavor.
• Fresh herbs: Stir in or garnish with rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, or cilantro.
• Sauce: Drizzle with a tahini sauce (like the one in my creamy tahini pasta), balsamic glaze, chimichurri, or creamy avocado sauce. A sprinkle of tofu feta cheese tastes great, too.
• Buddha bowl: Cube the roasted squash and serve it in bowls with the quinoa and mushroom-chickpea mixture, just like one of my readers did!
• Another squash: Love stuffed squash? Try my quinoa stuffed acorn squash with cranberries next.

How to Make Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash

There are four simple parts to this recipe: the roasted squash, the quinoa, the mushroom-chickpea mixture, and the assembly. The quinoa and filling cook while the squash roasts.

PRO TIP: Place a damp towel under the squash to keep it steady, or microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes to soften it before cutting. Save the seeds for roasting, too!

PRO TIP: Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel instead of rinsing them, so they brown instead of steaming.

PRO TIP: Prefer it all mixed? Stir the mushroom-chickpea mixture into the quinoa before stuffing the squash.

Toni’s Recipe Tips

• Pick the right squash: Medium, evenly shaped squash cook evenly and hold the most filling.
• Trim the ends first: You don’t have to, but trimming the stem and base gives you a flat surface and makes the squash much easier to halve.
• Use a long, sharp knife: Squash can be tricky to cut. Microwaving it for 2 to 3 minutes first softens the skin.
• Roasting time varies: It depends on the size and shape of your squash. Roast until fork-tender and lightly caramelized.
• Adjust the portion size: Serve halves for a main or quarters for a side. Quarters are a little harder to stuff, so pile the filling on top.
• Get creative with the presentation: Scoop out some of the roasted flesh for a deeper boat and stir it into the quinoa. Or tie two stuffed halves together with kitchen string and slice them into stuffed squash rounds.

What to Serve with Stuffed Butternut Squash

Stuffed butternut squash makes a delicious meat-free main for Thanksgiving, Christmas, vegan roast dinners, and dinner parties. Serve it with:

• Tahini sauce or easy vegan gravy
• Easy cornbread stuffing
• Vegan dinner rolls or butternut squash sage biscuits
• Cranberry sauce with orange juice
• Vegan green bean casserole and simple sautéed carrots
• A leafy green salad, pear salad, or shaved Brussels sprouts salad

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make ahead: Roast the squash and make the quinoa and mushroom-chickpea mixture up to 2 to 3 days ahead. Store each part in its own airtight container in the fridge, then assemble and reheat right before dinner.
• Fridge: Let it cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Freeze the assembled squash, or the squash and filling separately, in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat: Cover with foil and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot, or microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash FAQs