Stuffed Butternut Squash (GF) (2024)

Filled with all the flavours of the festive season, this Stuffed Butternut Squashrecipeis a completely delicious, fuss-free twist on the holiday roast.

Roasted butternut squash rounds filled with a lightly spiced chestnut, quinoa and lentil stuffing scattered with dried cranberries. This Christmas main is vegan, gluten-free and so wonderful.

This recipe was originally published December 3, 2017 and reposted on December 10, 2022 with new images, step-by-step instruction images and ingredients and substitutions.

Why We Love This Stuffed Butternut Squash

I am completely smitten with this stuffed butternut squash recipe. It's a little bit nut loaf without all the nuts, a little bit Christmas roast without the turkey and a little bit fancy without the fuss. The tinsel on the tree? This roast is -

Hello!

If you want a simple but awesome holiday recipe, this might just do the trick.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Butternut squash. As the recipe name implies we're stuffing a butternut squash but if you're lucky enough to be able to get acorn squash you could use that too. Cut the acorn squash in half and roast for 20-25 minutes before stuffing it and roasting it again for another 20-minutes or so.

Onion. Yellow if you can or French shallots would be lovely. You will 2 or 3 shallots depending on their size.

Garlic. Always.

Cooked quinoa. I use cooked quinoa in this recipe but you could use cooked brown rice or another gluten-free grain.

Lentils. Canned or cooked from scratch, it's up to us. I use brown lentils but you could use bulgur or Puy.

Spinach or any leafy green you like. You will have to cook greens like chard or kale for longer.

Dried cranberries or cherries add little pops of tartness to this savoury meal. You could also try chopped apricots like in my vegan wellington recipe.

Chestnuts provide a nutty sweetness to our stuffing but if you can't get them try chopped pecans or macadamias.

Nutmeg (not pictured). Adds warmth and a sweet nuttiness. You could substitute it for a tiny pinch of cinnamon.

Thyme works so beautifully here. I use fresh thyme but if you only have dried, add about a half teaspoon and taste. Dried herbs are always more potent that fresh. If you can't find thyme, you can try sage or rosemary.

Step-by-Step Guide

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1. To get your butternut squash read, lay each on its side and carefully cut 1½ inch thick slices. Using a small cookie cutter, cut a circle in the centre of each round to create a ring. Discard any seeds and cut the inside rounds in to cubes.

NB: If you don't have a cookie cutter, you can use a scoop to scoop out the flesh and simply chop the ends of the squash that you don't use into cubes.

Step 2. Go ahead and place the squash rounds on a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and pop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 3. OK, let's get on to the stuffing. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan over low heat and add the garlic, onion and fresh thyme leaves. Sweat them for around 7-minutes or until soft.

What is the difference between sautéing and sweating vegetables? Sweating vegetables isa technique that uses a gentle heat to soften vegetables and gently draw out their flavour. The idea is to not caramelise the veggies, but instead to allow the mellow flavours to mingle with the rest of the dish without overpowering it. Sautéing is done at a higher heat with less oil and the finished result is often browned or slightly caramelised vegetables

Step 4. Add the chestnuts, dried cranberries, squash cubes and the butter and cook until the butter is melted before adding a pinch of nutmeg. Stir it up well.

Steps 5 & 6. To finish the stuffing, add the cooked quinoa and your lentils and cook for a few minutes before stirring in the spinach. Season with sea salt and a good crack of black pepper and when the spinach has wilted remove the pan from the heat.

Step 7. Keeping the oven on, take the partially cooked squash rings from the oven and place them on your kitchen counter or a board.

Step 8. Carefully fill each ring with a good amount of stuffing, drizzle each with a small amount of olive oil before placing them back in the oven for a further 20 - 30 minutes or until the squash is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and serve with a vegan gravy and sides.

Serving Suggestions

These lovely stuffed squash are full of vegetables, protein and flavour and will go well with most sides. Try them -

• drizzled with vegan gravy
• alongside some smashed potatoes with garlic
• with a simple green salad
• next to a tray of roasted vegetables

FAQs

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