This vegan stuffed acorn squash is the meal of the season. The squash adds sweetness, while the wild rice, lentils, veggies, and herbs bring a savory balance. The chopped pecans and pomegranate seeds add a bright crunch. It’s the perfect entrée for your holiday feast!
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Table of Contents
I’ve been vegan for almost 15 years now, and I still haven’t had a solid Christmas main to enjoy. (Since I’m not a huge tofu fan, I wouldn’t do a Tofurky or anything along those lines.) Let’s be honest. When the holidays are here, you can 100% make a full meal from just the sides. (#girldinner, am I right?)
Growing up, we would always go to a family member’s home for Christmas dinner since our family didn’t personally celebrate it. Gathering around a table with friends and family is always a wonderful way to enjoy a meal together and some good quality time. This year, I finally decided to create a vegan main dish I’d love, and knew would be a hit with all the fam.
Whether you’re planning a Christmas party, looking for a beautiful Thanksgiving entrée, or just a cozy fall meal, this wild rice stuffed squash is a delicious way to celebrate seasonal produce. Pair it with a slice of vegan meatloaf, carrot butternut soup, vegan mashed potatoes and meatless gravy, and whipped sweet potatoes. For dessert, you have to try my dairy-free pumpkin pie!
Nutrition For Mental Health
As a human, I often find squash to be too sweet. As a nutritionist, I’m a fan! Acorn squash is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins C, B6, and B1, as well as potassium and magnesium. It is also a good source of iron. A double blind randomized study found that high doses of vitamin B6 reduced depressive symptoms.
Ingredients + Substitutions
This wild rice stuffed acorn squash is made with wholesome seasonal vegetables and savory herbs. I recommend using the exact ingredients and quantities listed. However, I do have some substitutions available if you need them.
- Acorn squash: I love using acorn squash when it involves stuffing! It’s the perfect size for individual servings. Half of an acorn squash stuffed with lentils and wild rice is a legit, filling meal. You could, of course, use other squashes such as butternut, but keep in mind that butternut squash is significantly larger, so your stuffing-to-squash ratio will be very different.
- Rice: This recipe calls for wild rice, which is absolutely delicious! If you can’t find any wild rice near you, you could substitute brown rice. However, if you do this, keep in mind that brown rice needs significantly less water. If you use short-grain brown rice (instead of the 2 cups of veggie broth this recipe uses), use 1 ½ cups veggie broth, and if you use long-grain brown rice, use 1 ¾ cups veggie broth.
- Lentils: I used brown lentils for this recipe because they tend to keep their shape and fall apart all at the same time. Meaning, some of the brown lentils will keep their lovely circular shape while some will get a smidge on the mushy side. This helps the stuffing stick together a bit. If you don’t have brown lentils, you could use green lentils or black lentils instead.
- Herbs: Dried thyme paired with fresh rosemary and sage is a winning flavorful combo that’s perfect for the holiday season. You can use fresh or dried herbs interchangeably. Keep in mind that it is usually recommended to use ⅓ the amount of a dried herb vs. fresh.
- Oil: This vegan stuffed squash uses olive oil to both roast the squash and sauté the veggies. Alternatively, you could use vegan butter or avocado oil.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Stuffed Vegan Acorn Squash
This vegan stuffed squash is easier to make than you might think. Roast the squash, make the wild rice and lentil stuffing, and put it together.
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle olive oil over the squash flesh and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place facedown on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. (Until the squash is fork-tender.)
- While the squash roasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery for 5-6 minutes (until the onion is semi-translucent).
- Add in garlic, herbs, rice, salt, and pepper. Stir continuously for 45-60 seconds (until the garlic is super fragrant).
- Pour in veggie broth and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon. (Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir to get any flavor bits that are stuck.) Bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer (over low heat), cover with a lid, and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in lentils, cover with the lid, and cook for another 20-25 minutes. (Until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked through.)
- Remove from heat and fold in chopped pecans and pomegranate seeds.
- Flip the acorn squash flesh-side up and stuff each squash with about half of a cup of stuffing. Make sure to make a good mound on top!
Storage Tips
You can 100% store fully stuffed roasted acorn squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, if you plan on storing them longer than a day or so, I highly recommend storing the baked squash separately from the wild rice stuffing.
FAQ
What can’t you stuff squash with? Am I right? This recipe for vegan stuffed squash uses a lentil and wild rice stuffing. However, there are plenty of other savory options like rice, quinoa, or farro. Oftentimes, people also use chopped-up mushrooms sautéed with veggies. You can also lean into the sweetness with maple syrup, cinnamon, brown sugar, fruits, and/or nuts.
Yes! If you follow this easy stuffed acorn squash recipe, you will have made vegan stuffed acorn squash!
Roasted stuffed squash doesn’t necessarily need a sauce. However, if you want to get saucy, then I would recommend this dairy-free pesto, roasted red pepper sauce, or roasted garlic sauce.
More Vegan Holiday Recipes
If you tried this Stuffed Vegan Squash Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Stuffed Vegan Acorn Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Squash
- 2 acorn squashes, washed, sliced in half through the base to the stem, and de-seeded
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Wild Rice and Lentil Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced very finely
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced very finely
- 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle olive oil over the squash flesh and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place facedown on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. (Until the squash is fork-tender.)
- While the squash roasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery for 5-6 minutes (until the onion is semi-translucent).
- Add in garlic, herbs, rice, salt, and pepper. Stir continuously for 45-60 seconds (until the garlic is super fragrant).
- Pour in veggie broth and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon. (Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir to get any flavor bits that are stuck.) Bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer (over low heat), cover with a lid, and let cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in lentils, cover with the lid, and cook for another 20-25 minutes. (Until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice and lentils are cooked through.)
- Remove from heat and fold in chopped pecans and pomegranate seeds.
- Flip the acorn squash flesh-side up and stuff each squash with about half a cup of stuffing. Make sure to make a good mound on top!
Video
Notes
You can 100% store fully stuffed roasted acorn squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, if you plan on storing them longer than a day or so, I highly recommend storing the baked squash separately from the wild rice stuffing.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Reference
Field, D. T., Cracknell, R., & Biagi, N. (2026). High Dose Vitamin B6 Reduces Depression Symptoms. Depression and anxiety, 2026, 8926512. https://doi.org/10.1155/da/8926512
