Stuffed Acorn Squash

There’s just something about this meal that is so warming and comforting. Acorn squash is my favorite type of squash and I’m always excited to see it at the grocery store. It has a beautiful color and a delightful shape. It tastes slightly sweet and starchy and just melts in your mouth. It’s super easy to roast and goes with almost everything. I paired it with the bright flavors of fresh thyme, lemon, and coriander. These flavors combined with mushrooms and hearty seitan make this dish really memorable. It’s filling and nutrient dense and makes a wholesome main course. You can cut the squash in half either lengthwise or horizontally. In order to have it lay flat and not roll around, I recommend making a thin cut to the bottom of the squash. Be careful not to cut too much off the bottom or you will have a hole at the bottom of your squash! The squash will come out tender all the way through when cooked properly. It’s also piping hot so handle it carefully with an oven mitt. You can rewarm the squash once it’s assembled by placing it in the oven at 400F for about 10 minutes. Stuffed squash is a great vegan main course for a holiday dinner or dinner party. The seitan adds a ton of plant based protein and the nutritional yeast is a great source of B vitamins not found in other plant based foods. If you are gluten free you can substitute with a gluten free, soy based beef crumble and quinoa or brown rice. The stuffing is very versatile and is great in stuffed bell peppers as well. You may have leftover stuffing which is great alone or in a lettuce wrap or soft taco. Make sure you tag @thefriendlyepicurean on Instagram and Facebook and Pin this recipe on Pinterest if you make it!

Acorn squash has a beautiful orange and green color to it.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Servings: 4
Time: 45min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 large acorn squash
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1.5 cups vegetable broth
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, diced
1 (8oz) package of chorizo seitan (such as Upton’s brand)
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbs olive oil
olive oil spray
1/2 tsp coriander
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut each squash in half, remove seeds, and spray with olive oil. Place face down on a baking sheet and bake for 37 to 40 minutes. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool. Squash should be soft all the way through. Next, heat bulgur and broth in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat until boiling. Lower heat and simmer until water is absorbed – about 10 minutes. In a medium sized sauté pan, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and coriander and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for about 6-7 minutes or until moisture from mushrooms is absorbed. Add seitan chorizo and cook for another 2-3 minutes until seitan is heated through. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice and nutritional yeast. Add mushroom mixture to cooked bulgur and stir well to combine. Season with salt to taste. Next, assemble the squash. Partially scoop out cooled squash with a spoon, leaving about 1/2 inch of squash intact to hold shape. Mix removed squash with bulgur mixture. Top each squash half with bulgur mixture. Place stuffed squash halves back onto baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 10 minutes to warm, if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. May store in the fridge for up to one day.

Nutrition Information: