Move over turkey, there is a new stuffer in town. Savoury Stuffed Squash is packed with all the fall flavours you are craving. It’s the perfect autumn weekend meal or a holiday worthy main dish. Vegan, gluten-free and made with no oil options. A stunning dish that will please everyone and make your table colours pop.
This recipe is a great way to use squash, that reasonably priced, fiber-rich and tasty fall vegetable. There is a lot more to do with this beautiful vegetable than slicing, roasting and pureeing. One of the best ways to serve squash is stuffed.
Watch me demo this recipe here on YouTube.
Squash Is Not Actually A Vegetable
Squash has a hearty texture and is so versatile. As a result, they’re usually treated like vegetables in cooking. However, squash is technically a fruit. This is because it contains seeds and comes from the flowering part of plants. Other “fruits” that are treated like vegetables are cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes.
How To Open & Clean Squash
- If your squash has a pointed bottom, slice it flat with a sharp kitchen knife so it is stable and won’t roll around
- Insert knife into the top about 2-4 inches (depending on the size) below the stem. Ensure the blade is pointed away from you. It will be easier to cut and is much safer. Cut around the top, remove and slice off any of the of the guts attached until it looks clean and smooth.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside.
- Your squash is ready to stuff
If You Are Stuffing Your Squash Horizontally
- Hold the squash horizontally. Place the knife in the centre, and using a kitchen towel for extra leverage (optional), place the towel over knife and push down quite hard until the knife makes its way through.
- If it doesn’t go completely through, give the squash a firm thud against the cutting board with the knife still in it (as you would with a coconut). This should split it the rest of the way.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside.
- Your squash is ready to stuff.
Stuffing Ingredients
-Farro or other grain such as brown rice, barley or quinoa if gluten-free. This is the type of farro I use.
-Onions
-Celery
-Mushrooms
-Cranberries (fresh, frozen or dried)
-Vegetable stock. I alway this vegetable base in my fridge to make a quick stock
-Sage (fresh or dried)
-Salt and pepper
-Oil for brushing (optional)
What Is Farro?
What makes this dish so great is the addition of farro. It is a high-protein, high-fibre ancient whole-grain wheat. Farro looks similar to barley but slightly larger and like barley, it has a nice chew. Farro offers a nutty flavour with a hint of cinnamon and pairs perfectly with meaty mushroom and tart cranberries and squash.
How To Cook Farro
Most producers recommend soaking whole farro overnight to shorten the cooking time. You can skip the overnight soak for pearled and semi-pearled farro, although it’s generally still useful to soak it for however long you can, whether that’s 30 minutes, an hour, or longer. Cook farro in a 1:2.5 or 1:3 ratio, or 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water or broth for each 1 cup of dry farro.
Cooking will vary depending on if you soaked the farro or not. If you soaked the farro overnight, it’ll be al dente in about 10 to 15 minutes. If you didn’t soak the farro at all, start checking it after about 25 or 30 minutes.
More Recipes You Will Enjoy
I hope you enjoyed this Savory Stuffed Squash recipe. Here are more recipes you are going to love:
–Sage & Butternut Squash Risotto
–Cranberry & Walnut Hasselback Squash
Sharing Is Caring!
If you make this Savory Stuffed Squash don’t forget to take a photo of it Share it with me at @SusanCooksVegan. I’ll feature your beautiful creation on my Instagram and Facebook stories.
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Thanks for the love, my friends!
Susan xox
PrintSavory Stuffed Squash
Savoury Stuffed Squash is packed with all the fall flavours you are craving. It’s the perfect autumn weekend meal or a holiday worthy main dish. Vegan, gluten-free and made with no oil options. Watch the Youtube video at the bottom of the recipe for a demonstration.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 mins to 1 hour
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 2 Serving 1x
- Category: Main Dish, side dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 small squash, opened at the top and cleaned
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups cooked farro
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1/3 cup cranberries, fresh, frozen or dried
- 4 tbsp fresh sage, chiffanade (cut into thin strips) or 1 tbsp dried
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2–4 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)
- 2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Open and clean squash (see directions above).
- Use a pastry brush to oil (if using) the inside of the squash and season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat.
- To the pan add chopped mushrooms and spread in an even layer. Do not stir for 3-4 minutes. Once golden brown stir and add chopped walnuts. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add chopped onion and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in cranberries and vegetable stock. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove for heat and set aside.
- Add squash and tops to baking tray. Fill squash cavity to the top with stuffing mixture.
- Cover the squash with tinfoil. Remove halfway through cooking. Place a small square of foil over the stem on the top to prevent burning.
- Bake for 35-60 minutes. Cooking time depends on the size of the squash. Watch the tops closely as they can easily burn. Remove tops from oven after 20-25 minutes.
- Serve stuffed squash immediately. Store leftover stuffing covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Freeze for 2 months.
Notes
If using large or several squash hit 2x to double the recipe. Prep squash ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook.
