This vegan stuffed acorn squash is as delicious as it is pretty! Filled with a whiskey-spiked mix of brown rice, apples, walnuts and cranberries, then drizzled in maple tahini sauce, this healthy main dish is perfect for holidays and special dinners.
Stuffed squash is a dish that I usually file in the underwhelming category. It often sounds great in theory, but usually tastes kind of meh.
I mentioned last week that I feel the same way about rice pilaf. So as I did with my wild rice pilaf, I challenged myself to create a stuffed squash recipe that would knock my socks off when it came to flavor.
Guys, I spent weeks thinking about how to turn the stuffing into a flavor-bomb, and once the answer hit me it seemed so obvious. Whisky! I mean, whiskey is my answer to making all kinds of things delicious, from gravy to baked beans. I put some whisky into my stuffed squash filling and, as usual, it did not disappoint!
This is one vegetarian holiday main dish that'll wow everyone at your table. Let's talk about how it's made!
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What You'll Need
- Acorn squash. Look for squash that are heavy and firm, without any soft spots. The skin should be dull (not shiny) and the color should be dark green, ideally with a blotch of orange.
- Olive oil. You can substitute another high-heat oil if you'd like.
- Tahini. Look for this in the international foods section of your supermarket. I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's brand.
- Maple syrup. You can substitute another liquid sweetener, such as agave, if needed.
- Apple cider vinegar. Other types of vinegars, such as red wine or white can be substituted if needed.
- Salt & pepper.
- Apple. Use your favorite type of apple for cooking (or even a pear). I like Granny Smith for the touch of tartness that it adds.
- Shallot. Onion can be substituted if needed.
- Garlic.
- Chickpeas. We're using canned chickpeas, which are precooked. If you'd like to use dried chickpeas, you'll need to soak and cook them first. Try this method.
- Spices. We're using dried thyme and rubbed sage.
- Whiskey. This can be left out if needed, but it adds so much flavor, so please use it if you can — it's worth going out to buy a bottle!
- Brown rice. You can use another variety of rice if you'd like, but you'll need to adjust the cook time.
- Soy sauce. Substitute gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos if needed.
- Walnuts. Another type of nut can be substituted if you'd like. Pecans or hazelnuts would be delicious!
- Dried cranberries. Feel free to use another type of dried fruit, such as raisins or currants.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Roast the Squash
- Cut your squash in half. Use a heavy chef's knife, some elbow grease, and a good deal of caution! I like to cut my acorn squash lengthwise (i.e. parallel to the stem), because the halves come out identical that way, and each one makes a pretty little heart shape. Feel free to cut yours height-wise if you prefer though!
- Once they're cut, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and rub the entire outer surface of each half with some olive oil.
- Arrange the squash halves on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and roast the squash until it's tender.
Make the Filling
You can make the filling while your squash roasts. Gather and prep all of your ingredients so they're ready to go when you need them. Keep in mind that this recipe calls for cooked brown rice. You can use leftover rice if you've got it on hand, or cook some while prepping the ingredients. Just make sure it's fully cooked and ready to go before you get started!
- Heat some oil in a medium skillet. Once the oil heats up, add some diced apple. Let it cook for about 5 or 6 minutes, flipping it at least once. The apple is done cooking when it's soft and has some brown spots. Use a spatula to take the apple out of the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
- Add more oil to the skillet, let it heat up, and add some chopped shallots. Sweat the shallots until they soften up, for about 5 minutes. Now add some garlic and cook it for about a minute more.
- Chickpeas, spices and whiskey go into the skillet next.
- Bring the liquid up to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes, until the liquid has significantly reduced. You want all of the alcohol to cook off, so give your ingredients a sniff and taste test before moving on: if you can detect any alcohol it needs a few minutes more to cook.
- Once the alcohol is gone, add your rice and some soy sauce. You can also return those apples to the skillet.
- Cook everything for a minute or two, just until the ingredients are hot.
- Take your skillet off of the heat, stir in some walnuts, dried cranberries, black pepper, and season the mixture with salt to taste.
Tip: Need an all-purpose vegan holiday stuffing? The filling for this would work well with all kinds of dishes!
- Stuff your squash halves with the filling.
- Serve your squash boats with a drizzle of tahini sauce.
Make-Ahead Option
The filling and tahini sauce can both be made up to two days in advance. Reheat the filling on the stove top or in the microwave before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Just use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
You could try using a tiny bit of bourbon extract for flavor, though I haven't tried this.
Most whiskey is vegan, but if you'd like to err on the side of caution, check with Barnivore to ensure the variety you're using is.
More Vegan Holiday Main Dishes
- Vegan Chickpea Meatloaf
- Vegan Vegetable Wellington
- Vegan Shepherd's Pie
- Savory Vegan Hand Pies
- Vegan Nut Roast
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Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
This vegan stuffed acorn squash is as delicious as it is pretty! Filled with a whiskey-spiked mix of brown rice, apples, walnuts and cranberries, then drizzled in maple tahini sauce, this healthy main dish is perfect for holidays and special dinners.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Acorn Squash
- 2 medium-sized acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2-4 tablespoons water
For the Filling
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium apple (your favorite cooking variety), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup finely diced shallot
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup whiskey
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Begin by roasting the squash. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Use a large chef's knife to carefully cut each squash in half lengthwise.
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Use a spoon to scoop the seeds from each squash half.
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Rub the entire outer surface of each squash half with olive oil and arrange them, cut-sides up, on a baking sheet.
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Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast the squash halves until they are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
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While the squash roasts, prepare the dressing and then the filling. First, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, thinning with as much water as needed. You want the dressing to be thick, but thin enough that it pours and drizzles easily.
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To make the filling, begin by coating the bottom of a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and placing it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the apple.
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Cook the apple for about 6 minutes, flipping it once or twice, until the pieces are soft and lightly browned in spots.
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Remove the apple from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
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Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the skillet and give it a minute to heat up.
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When the oil is hot, add the shallot. Cook the shallot, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, for about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Add the chickpeas, sage, thyme and whiskey. Stir everything together, raise the heat, and bring the liquid up to a simmer.
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Lower the heat and allow the whiskey to simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Sniff or taste the mixture to see if any alcohol is detectable — if so, let it cook for a minute more.
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Stir in the rice and soy sauce, and return the apples to the skillet.
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Cook everything for just a minute or two more, until heated throughout.
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Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the walnuts and cranberries. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
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When the squash comes out of the oven, spoon the filling into each half. Transfer the squash to place and drizzle each half with tahini dressing. Serve.
This was so good! Sweet, savory, and perfect for Fall! I used almond butter in the sauce only because I didn't have any tahini and it was still delicious!
Made this last night and what a treat! Totally loved the flavors. Husband said this recipe was a def winner. I’ve made stuffed gourds before and they were just ok. This one, however, is super delicious!!
Thanks!!!!
Yay! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much Trish!
Oh that sounds wonderful! I'm going to have to try it with almond butter. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!