This Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing makes for a delicious meal and a gorgeous presentation. Our stuffed acorn squash recipe is vegan, nut free, and gluten-free and the perfect main course for entertaining.
One of our favorite things about acorn squash is how easy and delicious it is to stuff! It’s an excellent seasonal recipe that takes about 45 minutes to cook up. Many often wonder if you can eat acorn squash skin and the answer is, yes, once cooked the skin is edible, but some choose to only eat the flesh.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the acorn squash lengthwise in half and scoop out the seeds and guts.
- Brush the acorn squash inside and out with about 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil. You can also season with salt and pepper.
- Place the squash halves cut down on a baking sheet, pierce the backs with a fork about four times per squash
- Bake the squash for about 40-50 minutes or until it’s easily pierced with a fork.
- While the squash roasts heat the remaining avocado oil in a large skillet and add in the onion and celery, cook about 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the Gala apple and garlic and cook a few more minutes or until the apples are tender.
- Mix in the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of parsley. Cook together for 3 minutes.
- Spoon the stuffing mixture into the roasted acorn squash and garnish with remaining parsley.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Stuffed squash is considered a main dish so we like to pair it with something light and fresh.
What goes well with acorn squash? Typically we’ll serve over a simple tossed salad or with our go-to salads like our Shirazi Salad or Chickpea Salad. Both have fresh veggies and full of bright flavors.
RECIPE NOTES:
- Do not flip the squash while cooking, you want to ensure a soft and “steamed” acorn squash and flipping will dry it out and roast it.
- When storing it’s best to keep in separate containers so you can easily warm it up.
- If you have any extra filling you can enjoy on the side with a salad, it’s delicious on its own as well.
- Want more protein? Toss some chickpeas into the quinoa cranberry stuffing.
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 3 medium acorn squash
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 Gala Apple chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the acorn squash lengthwise in half and remove the seeds.
- Brush the acorn squash inside and out with about 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil. You can also season with salt and pepper.
- Place the acorn squash cut down on a baking sheet, pierce the backs with a fork about four times per squash
- Bake the squash for about 40-50 minutes or until it's easily pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining avocado oil in a large skillet and add in the onion and celery, cook about 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the Gala apple and garlic and cook a few more minutes or until the apples are tender.
- Mix in the cooked quinoa, cranberries, salt, pepper and ¼ cup of parsley. Cook together for 3 minutes.
- Stuff the roasted acorn squash with the stuffing and garnish with remaining parsley.
Notes
- Do not flip the squash while cooking, you want to ensure a soft and "steamed" acorn squash and flipping will dry it out and roast it.
- When storing it's best to keep in separate containers so you can easily warm it up.
- If you have any extra filling you can enjoy on the side with a salad, it's delicious on its own as well.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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