Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Rice & Lentil Stuffing

GFGluten Free

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This Maple Roasted Acorn Squash is stuffed with a Rice, Lentil, and Mushroom Stuffing and topped with toasted Pine Nuts, making it a perfect holiday dish!

As the weather gets colder, my cravings for warm, hearty food definitely increase. And what better way to satisfy those cravings than with a cozy bowl of Maple-Roasted Squash, stuffed with a fragrant and flavorful stuffing?!

Whether you decide to serve this Stuffed Acorn Squash for a weeknight dinner or as a main for a holiday party, they’re sure to impress.

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil, Rice, Mushroom Stuffing - Easy Holiday Recipe #vegan #plantbased

Plus, is there anything more cute than an edible squash bowl stuffed with more edible goodness? Ok, fine. Maybe puppies and some other fluffy animals have me beat. Either way, the squash-as-bowl concept is still just as handy as it is delicious.

I packed these Acorn Squash FULL of cozy, warming flavors. First, we have a Maple & Tamari glaze for our gourds. Then, we’ll stuff them with some lentils & rice infused with juicy mushrooms and all of my favorite spices. And let’s not forget the toasted Pine Nuts on top! I love the extra crunch + burst of flavor they bring to the dish.

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil, Rice, Mushroom Stuffing - Easy Holiday Recipe #vegan #plantbased

To top it all off, this dish comes together in under an hour! I know it looks complicated and fancy, but if you time it right, you could actually cook the whole thing in just under 40 minutes. Which leaves you more time to spend with your loved ones…or baking some Snickerdoodle cookies for dessert.

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil, Rice, Mushroom Stuffing - Easy Holiday Recipe #vegan #plantbased

This recipe was also produced in collaboration with a few other Vegan YouTubers. If you’d like to watch a recipe video for this Maple Roasted Acorn Squash, plus get a few more holiday recipe ideas, check it out below!

A Few Final Thoughts:
  • If you can’t find Acorn Squash, never fear! This recipe will work with any round gourd you have on hand.
  • I used Red Rice and Black Lentils for this recipe, but again, feel free to use any rice or lentil variety that works best for you.
  • If you are making this recipe for a holiday party, you can easily cook both the squash and filling a day in advance. Just bring everything to room temperature day-of, stuff your squash, and then heat the completed dish up at 350F for 10 or so minutes before serving.

If you’re looking for more cozy winter recipes, you’ll also love my Green Bean, Cranberry, & Quinoa Salad or my Sweet Potato, Red Lentil, & Peanut Stew!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil, Rice, Mushroom Stuffing - Easy Holiday Recipe #vegan #plantbased

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Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil & Rice Stuffing

This Maple Roasted Acorn Squash is stuffed with a Rice, Lentil, and Mushroom Stuffing and topped with toasted Pine Nuts, making it a perfect holiday dish!

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 people 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 Medium to Large Acorn Squash

For the Glaze:

  • 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 tbsp Tamari

For the Stuffing:

  • 8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 small Yellow Onion, diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried Sage
  • 1/2 tsp dried Rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dried Thyme
  • 2/3 cup Red Rice, dry
  • 2/3 cup Black Lentils, dry
  • 2 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
  • Salt, to taste (optional)
  • 1/3 cup Pine Nuts, toasted

Instructions

  1. First, preheat your oven to 350F. Cut each Acorn Squash in half, and remove the seeds / inner portion to make a bowl. Score a “checkerboard” into each squash (see video for a visual). Prep the rest of the veggies as well.
  2. Add all of the stuffing ingredients, aside from the Pine Nuts, to a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes. Once finished cooking, add any additional Salt to taste, if necessary.
  3. Place the squash halves bowl side up into a large glass 9×13″ dish. Prepare the Squash glaze by mixing the Tamari and Maple Syrup together in a small bowl, then coat each Squash evenly in the glaze.
  4. Pour 1-2 cups of water into the bottom of the glass pan, making sure you don’t get it in the Squash bowls. This allows the Squash to steam and cook more evenly in the oven.
  5. Bake the Squash for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven. Stuff each Squash with the Lentil and Rice Stuffing (which should have finished cooking by now), and then return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, toast your Pine Nuts in a small pan over high heat until golden and fragrant.
  7. Remove your Squash Bowls from the oven, top with a spoonful of Pine Nuts, and serve warm.

Notes

Tamari may be substituted with Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce, but keep in mind that Soy Sauce is not gluten-free.

Red Rice may be substituted with any other whole-grain rice of your choice. I would not recommend White Rice, as the final product will be very soft and mushy.

Black Lentils may be substituted for French or Green Lentils. Red Lentils will not work with this recipe.

Keywords: acorn squash, stuffed acorn squash, vegan stuffed squash, stuffed holiday squash

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Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Lentil, Rice, Mushroom Stuffing - Easy Holiday Recipe #vegan #plantbased

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi! Loved the recipe, right now it’s way too hot in my country to make it but will definitely save it for the winter 🙂
    I also wanted to say, every time I open your blog something is automatically downloaded to my computer… do you know why that happens or what is it?
    Thank you for all your recipes,
    Daiana