Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Four roasted acorn squash halves filled with a quinoa, chickpea, and cranberry stuffing.

5 from 38 votes

This quinoa stuffed acorn squash is filled with kale, chickpeas, and sweet-tart cranberries. It's a hearty, 8-ingredient vegan main for your holiday table or any fall dinner.

Prep Time25

Cook Time55

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 693kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup (170 g) quinoa rinsed
2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth
2 medium acorn squash halved and seeded
5 Tablespoons (75 ml) oil divided
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 small red onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup (20 g) kale finely chopped, tough stems removed
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries
15 ounces can chickpeas drained and rinsed (425 g)

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa and add it to a medium saucepan with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and membranes.
Brush the squash with 3 Tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and place it cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Leave the oven on.
In the last 15 minutes of baking, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
Stir in the kale and sauté for 1 more minute.
Stir in the quinoa, cranberries, and chickpeas until evenly mixed. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the filling seems dry, stir in a splash of vegetable broth.
Flip the squash halves over and fill them with the quinoa filling. Bake for 10 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and crispy. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

If the filling seems dry, stir in a splash of vegetable broth before stuffing the squash.
You can cut the squash lengthwise or across the middle without changing the baking time. If a half wobbles, slice a little off the bottom so it sits flat once stuffed.
Pile the filling up high, or use less and fill more squash halves.
This method and filling work with other winter squash, like butternut. Adjust the baking time to the size of your squash.
To make it oil-free, sauté the veggies in vegetable broth and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Assemble it up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge until the final bake. Store leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition