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Vegan stuffed acorn squash is a hearty, meatless, dairy-free entree with a savory filling of chickpeas, mushrooms, basmati rice, pecans, herbs, and spices. Topped with an optional drizzle of balsamic reduction, it offers layers of flavor in one pretty vegetarian package.
In our mostly vegetarian household, we’ve embraced a flexitarian lifestyle, reserving meat for special occasions. Recently, I’ve taken it a step further by creating meatless dishes for Thanksgiving, like this vegan stuffed acorn squash. It’s a festive, satisfying centerpiece that celebrates the season without sacrificing flavor or tradition. While roasted turkey is the norm for many, our holiday favorites have always been the sides like mashed potatoes, Challah bread stuffing, roasted vegetables, roasted cauliflower gratin, and pumpkin challah, and this dish complements them beautifully.
This stuffed squash is both stunning and simple to make. The savory filling of chickpeas, basmati rice, mushrooms, pecans, herbs, and spices creates a hearty, protein-rich meal with a “meaty” depth. For a finishing touch, a drizzle of balsamic reduction adds brightness and visual appeal. Whether you’re hosting vegetarians or just looking to change things up, this recipe is a flavorful, elegant alternative or addition to your holiday turkey.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Balsamic Vinegar – This is optional, but I highly recommend including it for the balsamic reduction drizzle. It adds a sweet, tangy finish that complements the savory filling beautifully.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Used for sautéing mushrooms, cooking rice, and roasting the squash, this adds richness and enhances the natural flavors of the vegetables. In addition, olive oil is a great source of good-for-you fats and provides immense nutritional benefits.
- Mushrooms – White mushrooms are seared for a deep, umami flavor that mimics a meaty texture.
- White Basmati Rice – Light and fluffy, this forms the base of the stuffing and takes on the flavor of the savory seasonings well. For a slightly earthier taste, try using wild rice instead.
- Acorn Squash – Naturally sweet with lots of depth once roasted, acorn squash makes for the perfect “container” and adds lots of flavor and nutrients to the dish.
- Chickpeas – An excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber, garbanzo beans make this vegan stuffed acorn squash even more filling, so much so that it can be served as a complete meal.
- Pecans – These add rich flavor and a satisfying crunch. Walnuts or almonds also taste great. Or, for a nut-free option, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead.
- Herbs and Spices – Fresh parsley, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne pepper provide a bright, herbaceous flavor with warm notes and lots of depth.
How to Cut and Roast Acorn Squash
Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never cut an acorn squash. It’s not as hard as it may look!
- Start by slicing the stem tip off each acorn squash to create a flat base.
- Slice the squash in half lengthwise along a natural groove using a sharp chef’s knife. If you encounter resistance, gently saw through the squash with the knife tip. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp using a melon baller or spoon. (Tip: You can roast the seeds later for a snack! Use the method described in my post on how to cook butternut squash.)
- Brush a baking sheet and the cut sides of the squash with olive oil.
- Place the halves flesh-side down on the sheet and roast in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the squash begins to brown too quickly, flip them cut-side up to finish roasting. The squash is ready when it’s fork-tender and the edges are golden!
How to Make an Easy Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
- Sear. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, and let them cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until they’re golden brown and have reduced in volume by about two-thirds.
- Simmer. In a small saucepan, combine the basmati rice, water, olive oil, and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer until the liquid absorbs. Remove the pot from the heat, and rest covered for about 10 minutes.
- Prep and roast. While the rice simmers, prep and roast the acorn squash. (See method above.)
- Mix. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Stir in the mushrooms, chickpeas, pecans, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, cayenne, and allspice. Cover and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to warm through.
- Stuff. Divide the filling between the roasted squash halves. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley.
- Drizzle. If using, drizzle balsamic reduction over each stuffed squash just before serving. Enjoy warm!
Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Hearty, savory, & plant-based, this vegan stuffed acorn squash makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving or cozy fall dinners!
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Email Me RecipesServings: 6
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
- Nonstick skillet
- 2 saucepans
- Small bowl
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (optional – for balsamic reduction)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 cups diced white mushrooms
- 1/2 cup white basmati rice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 3 whole acorn squash roughly 1 pound each
- 1/2 cup chickpeas cooked or canned
- 1/3 cup pecans chopped (substitute sunflower seeds to make nut free)
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley divided
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper (optional – adds spice)
- Pinch allspice
Instructions
- If making the balsamic reduction, you can make it ahead by up to a week. Pour your balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until the vinegar reduces by half and thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Don't let the vinegar become too bubbly or dry. Remove from heat, pour the thickened vinegar into a heat-safe dish and allow to cool to room temperature. As it cools it will thicken further. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use, or keep covered at room temperature if making the same day. If refrigerating, let it come back to room temperature before serving.
- Sear your diced mushrooms. Start by coating the bottom of a medium skillet evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil. Heat over medium until hot (not smoking) Add a few pieces of mushroom to test – the oil should sizzle but not splatter. When heat is right, add the diced mushrooms in a single layer in the skillet, turn the heat to medium high, and let cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. No stirring yet!
- Check a few mushrooms by turning with a spatula. They are ready to stir when they are dark golden on the bottom side.
- Stir mushrooms over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes longer until they have reduced in volume by roughly 2/3.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small saucepan, combine basmati rice, 1 cup of water, 2 tsp of olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce to low heat. Let the rice cook for 15 minutes. At the end of 15 minutes, turn off the heat but keep the rice covered. Continue to steam for another 10 minutes.
- While rice is cooking and oven is heating, slice the stem tip off of each acorn squash, slicing as close to the stem as possible. The stem end should be flat at the very end after it's sliced. This will help the squash to slice evenly into two halves.
- Slice the acorn squashes in half lengthwise. Start by placing an acorn squash on a sturdy table or cutting board. Choose a natural groove in the squash that divides the two sides as equally as possible. Use that groove as a guide for your chef's knife to slice the squash in half. If you encounter resistance as you slice, remove the knife and insert the knife tip into the slice, sawing gently to work your way through.
- When the squash are sliced, remove the seeds and thready pulp from the center of each half using a melon corer or a spoon with semi-sharp edges. If you've even carved a jack-o-lantern, this will feel familiar to you. (Note: you can roast the seeds and snack on them, just follow the same seed-roasting method outlined in this butternut squash post.)
- Pour remaining 4 tsps of olive oil into a small bowl. Brush your baking sheet with olive oil, then brush each squash half with oil on the cut fleshy side. Place the squash halves flesh side down on the baking sheet. Roast the squash for about about 20 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through cooking, until the squash is tender throughout and the edges are starting to turn golden. Check the squash around 15 minutes – if any of the halves are browning too quickly on the cut side, flip them over so the cut side faces upward for the remainder of cooking.
- When basmati rice is fully steamed and hot, take off the lid. Fluff rice with a fork, then stir in the chickpeas, seared mushrooms, chopped pecans, 1/4 cup of the parsley, thyme, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and allspice. Cover the lid again to let the other ingredients gently warm in the hot rice. Reserve 1 tbsp of the chopped parsley for garnish.
- When squash is fully roasted, remove from oven.
- Divide the filling between the 6 acorn squash halves, stuffing each half with a heaping helping of stuffing. Sprinkle the stuffed squash with the remaining fresh chopped parsley.
- If using the balsamic reduction, drizzle roughly 2 teaspoons on top of each squash half. Serve warm.
NOTES
You will also need: Large baking sheet, nonstick skillet, 2 saucepans, small bowl, pastry brush
Serving Size: 1 stuffed acorn squash half (roughly 14 oz)
Cooking Notes: This recipe is fairly simple and can be made quickly with a little advance preparation. Make sure your chopped vegetables are prepared and ingredients measured ahead of time to streamline the cooking process.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Amount Per Serving
Calories 184
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 107mg5%
Potassium 199mg6%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 309IU6%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
Can I make stuffed vegetarian squash ahead of time?
Yes! Both the roasted squash and the stuffing can be made up to a day in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the squash in a 350°F oven for about 10–15 minutes, and warm the stuffing on the stovetop or in the microwave before assembling. It’s the perfect make-ahead dish for busy holidays.
What should I serve with this recipe?
My family often enjoys this vegan stuffed acorn squash on its own for a plant-based meal. However, it also pairs well with all your favorite holiday main courses and side dishes, or even a light salad like my kale, pear, and cranberry salad.
is it possible to use balsamic glaze rather than making the reduction
Yes, that will work!
Could this be prepared ahead of time and frozen?
Hi Tammy! While I have not done that myself, it should be fine. I recommend cooking the recipe as written, but omitting the garnish and the last drizzle of balsamic reduction. Let the stuffed squash cool completely, then place in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then heat it in the oven with a little water in the dish at 350°F until heated through. Garnish it with herbs and top it with that last drizzle of balsamic reduction just before serving.
I made this for dinner later tonight and will put the filling into delicata squash, because that’s what I have. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
It was delicious! Everyone thought that it was like a gourmet meal.
Not only was this delicious for the holiday but today we are having it again “just because” it was awesome!
Questions to make this a 5-star:
– How to keep dish from being dry? the balsamic reduction helped, but the rice stuffing was dry.
– How to make the acorn squash flavorble at the bottom? The top 1/4 was very tasty, but less so as dug down into the squash.
I look forward to your response because I otherwise liked the this dish and can see it as a 5-star.
All best,
alice
Hi Alice! Sorry to hear the filling was dry. It may be the type of rice you used – some types of basmati rice cook up drier than others. Stirring in a little mild olive oil – like Bragg’s – wouldn’t hurt the flavor and would certainly help the dryness. As for the squash, roasting only really affects the flavor of the top layer of the squash, the rest will taste “steamed.” If you’re looking for more flavor there, you would need to abandon the idea of stuffing the squash, and instead roast up some cubed squash (butternut perhaps?) with salt, pepper, and spices – maybe a touch of cinnamon here. I have instructions on that here: https://toriavey.com/all-about-butternut-squash-how-to-peel-seed-slice-and-prepare/ then simply serve the rice tossed with the squash. Hope that helps!
I have to tell you, this is delicious! The squash was my entree for Rosh Hashana and was a success. Rave compliments from everyone at the table. The only swap I did was exchange brown rice for the white basmati and baby bella instead of the white button mushrooms. I always stick with whole grains. This is now going to be my go-to every year! FYI: It pairs nicely with sweet potato tzimmes (I used a different recipe than yours – a staple for years) and your lovely fennel apple citrus salad with tahini dressing (also a hit).
Happy Rosh Hashana. May it be a healthy and sweet year for you and your family.
what do you think about using brown rice instead of basmati? thanks! and chag sameach!
This sounds so good, trying as a side dish for our traditional thanksgiving meal. I notice the recipe doesn’t say when to add the mushrooms to the mix, so I’m guessing when the other ingredients are added to the rice? It makes sense.
Correct. 🙂
I have been a subscriber for years and this is the first time I have seen one of your recipes with an omission.
How much water to cook the basmati rice?
Dina, you are so right! It’s one cup, just corrected it. I try to be so careful with this. I’m blaming having a newborn in the house… I think they call it mom brain?? 🙂
Wondering what I can use instead of acorn squash as it’s not found here. There is butternut squash however and pumpkin. What, if any is a good sub?
It depends – if you want to stuff, mini pumpkins or very small pie pumpkins would probably be the most similar presentation. Butternut tastes somewhat similar (less starchy), but it’s generally too big to stuff this way. The filling is actually quite nice all on its own, too! Or you can roast some butternut squash chunks and toss them with the filling and serve it that way. 🙂
I know I’m going to like this recipe. I’m thinking of modifying it a bit for Thanksgiving and instead of serving it in the acorn half, scooping out the squash and mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. I have too many people coming over to be able to make so many squash halves.
I think I understand what you’re saying… so, if you don’t want to stuff the halves, then you could roast the squash halves as written, slice the squash into C-shaped slices, peel/slice the skin off, then dice into chunks and toss with the rice mixture. The skin is edible, but not sure the texture would work here. This might give you a nicer presentation than scooping out the flesh. Alternatively, you could just roast some chunks of butternut squash (the pre-prepped ones from the market are super easy!). The taste is similar, a bit less starchy. The filling is also really tasty all on its own – very savory!
I don’t know where this post will appear but yes, I would prepare the squash the way you suggest: Roasting the squash separately, peeling, and slicing and then putting the filling on top, hopefully making an attractive platter for it. I would really rather do it your way but I know only 3/4 of the people at my table will take the squash, but I have to at least offer one half to everyone and that’s just too much. I love the fact that you didn’t just say, “sounds great, good luck!” You took the time to understand what I wrote and then gave me instructions for how to do the recipe the way I needed to. That’s extremely kind, caring, and professional of you. I love your website. Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you Allison! I try my best, not always easy to stay on top of comments especially during the holidays… but I want to make sure everybody has success with these recipes, especially on special occasions.
Is there a substitute you would recommend instead of mushrooms?
You can omit the mushrooms and add an additional 1/2 cup of chickpeas if you prefer. The volume of the mushrooms after searing is about 1/2 cup, so if you prefer you can do a mixture of pecans and chickpeas – as long as the total combined is 1/2 cup.