Thanksgiving’s going to be a little different this year at the Jensen household, we’re having a few vegans over.
*gasp*
Oh, I’m only joking, vegans are all good in my book. However, my mother has insisted that there will be no changes to the overall meal she always makes for the family. That being said, I didn’t want to leave our vegan guests stuck with a few side dishes as their only option. So this year I will be making a vegan main that is perfect for the holiday season, stuffed acorn squash.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- One thing I love about this recipe is that it can all be made a day or two ahead of time. Just roast the acorn squash, and cook the stuffing as per the instructions. And place them both in your fridge overnight. Then take them both out 30 minutes before baking to get to room temperature, place the stuffing into the squash, and bake as instructed.
- Today I will be using bulgur wheat in my stuffing because I like the taste, and I had some on hand. That being said you can easily swap it out with pretty much any other type of grain that you prefer. For example quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, and even couscous work as great substitutions.
- Cook your bulgar wheat in vegetable stock instead of water to give it added flavor.
- Save the seeds that you scoop out of the acorn squash. They can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds to make a delicious and healthy snack.
Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 Acorn squash
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
For stuffing:
½ Cup of bulgur wheat, uncooked
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
½ Cup of finely diced onion
¼ Cup of finely diced celery
8 oz. of Mushrooms, diced (white, crimini, or shiitake will work just fine)
¼ Cup of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
¼ Cup of pepitas
1 Clove of garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon of rubbed sage
½ Teaspoon of dried thyme
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish:
Parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉, 204℃
- Prep the acorn squash: Cut both acorn squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the internal seeds. Place all four halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet flesh side up. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over each half along with a pinch or two of salt & black pepper.
- Place the acorn squash into your heated oven and let them roast for roughly 30 to 45 minutes. You will know that the acorn squash is fully cooked when its flesh is easily pierced by a fork.
- Cook the bulgur wheat: Place the bulgur wheat into a pot with 1 cup of water/vegetable stock and a pinch of salt. Place this pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Place a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Then let the bulgur wheat cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Take it off of the heat, let it rest for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Make the stuffing: Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet/pan and place over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and celery, and sautee both ingredients for roughly 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, cranberries, pepitas, garlic, sage, and thyme to the skillet/pan.
Continue to sautee everything for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are fully cooked. Take the skillet/pan off of the heat, and toss in the cooked bulgur wheat. Add in the lemon juice along with a couple of pinches of salt & black pepper. Stir to combine everything, then taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper until it’s to your liking.
- Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of each acorn squash halves. Return the stuffed acorn squash to your oven and let them cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve the stuffed acorn squash with a sprinkle of minced parsley and enjoy!
Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Acorn squash
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For stuffing:
- ½ Cup of bulgur wheat uncooked
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ Cup of finely diced onion
- ¼ Cup of finely diced celery
- 8 oz. of Mushrooms diced (white, crimini, or shiitake will work just fine)
- ¼ Cup of dried cranberries roughly chopped
- ¼ Cup of pepitas
- 1 Clove of garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon of rubbed sage
- ½ Teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish:
- Parsley minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉, 204℃
- Prep the acorn squash: Cut both acorn squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the internal seeds. Place all four halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet flesh side up. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over each half along with a pinch or two of salt & black pepper.
- Place the acorn squash into your heated oven and let them roast for roughly 30 to 45 minutes. You will know that the acorn squash is fully cooked when its flesh is easily pierced by a fork.
- Cook the bulgur wheat: Place the bulgur wheat into a pot with 1 cup of water/vegetable stock and a pinch of salt. Place this pot over high heat and let it come to a boil. Place a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let the bulgur wheat cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Take it off of the heat, let it rest for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Make the stuffing: Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet/pan and place over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and celery, and sautee both ingredients for roughly 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, cranberries, pepitas, garlic, sage, and thyme to the skillet/pan. Continue to sautee everything for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are fully cooked. Take the skillet/pan off of the heat, and toss in the cooked bulgur wheat. Add in the lemon juice along with a couple of pinches of salt & black pepper. Stir to combine everything, then taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper until it’s to your liking.
- Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of each acorn squash halves. Return the stuffed acorn squash to your oven and let them cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve the stuffed acorn squash with a sprinkle of minced parsley and enjoy!
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