This festive vegan stuffed butternut squash is filled with nutty bulgur, sweet cranberries, walnuts, and a cozy mix of leeks, mushrooms, and herbs. It’s a crowd-pleasing main dish, fancy enough for a holiday table and easy enough for a weeknight feast.
Several years ago, in my quest for an uncomplicated plant-based main dish, I gave a vegan makeover to a family recipe. And when said recipe, stuffed butternut squash (in case you’re wondering) was a big hit, well, it became a holiday mainstay.
Speaking of easy, you can make this dish in an hour. This leaves you plenty of time to whip up my favorite white bean mushroom gravy or sweet tahini maple dressing to drizzle over your roasted squash.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made with wholesome ingredients and no added oil.
- Quick-cooking bulgur stuffing is easy to make and keeps prep time to a minimum.
- Scooped out baked squash goes back into the stuffing, so nothing goes to waste.
- The perfect balance of savory, nutty, and slightly sweet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butternut Squash. A large butternut squash serves 4. For smaller squash, use two. Acorn or kabocha squash works too.
- Bulgur. I used coarse bulgur, cracked wheat, which is the most common. It’s par-boiled before packaging, so it cooks quickly. Pearl couscous is a good substitute.
- Leeks. Chop 2 small leeks (or 1 large). You can also use a chopped onion, but leeks have a mellow flavor and add a little more texture (and fiber).
- Mushrooms. Use inexpensive and readily available button mushrooms or brown chestnut mushrooms. Use can also use baby Bella mushrooms or toss in a few wild mushrooms.
- Dried cranberries. Cranberries have an intense sweet-sour flavor. Substitute with other dried fruit such as cherries, currants, or apricots.
- Walnuts. Add a few chopped walnuts for crunch and flavor. Chopped almonds, pecans, or pumpkin seeds also work.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
- Gluten-free: Substitute bulgur with 1 cup quinoa, millet, or brown rice.
- Nut-free: Replace walnuts with pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
- Stuffed zucchini: If you try this recipe with zucchini, rather than yellow squash, there’s no need to prebake. For more information, see my recipe for baked zucchini boats.
- Cirtus twist: Mix in a splash of orange juice or zest for brightness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sprinkle squash halves with a pinch of sage, rosemary, and thyme. Then bake it on a parchment-lined baking tray until fork tender.
Step 2: Cook the leeks, mushrooms, and celery in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the garlic and spices. Deglaze with broth and add the bulgur. Cook until the bulgur is tender.
Step 3: Stir in cranberries, walnuts, and cubed butternut squash flesh.
Step 4: Add the vegetable broth and stir the bottom of the skillet to deglaze the pan. Add the bulgur and adjust the temperature to simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender.
Prep Squash Like an Expert
- Start with a large, sharp knife. Trim off the stem and root end.
- Stand the squash upright. That's the easiest way to cut it. If not, lay it on the cutting board and split the squash where the long neck meets the round base.
- A folded towel underneath helps the squash from slipping.
- Roast the squash halves, cut side down, and reduce cooking time by 10 minutes. The downside is that you need to flip it to determine when it's fork-tender.
- Leave about ¼ of an inch of flesh around the squash skin so it's easier to handle and sturdy enough to hold the stuffing.
- Tip: To make cutting the squash easier, microwave it for 2–3 minutes.
How to Air Fry Stuffed Squash
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 F (190 C).
- Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the basket.
- Air fry for 20-25 minutes.
- Stuff the squash and air fry for 5-10 minutes more.
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Make Ahead
As a time-saver, you can make this recipe a few days ahead. After roasting and stuffing the squash, store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Place the halves on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F / 180 C for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until hot. Or, reheat, uncovered, in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Cut the baked squash halves to make four portions. Garnish with more dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, or thinly sliced green onions.
Looking for a festive side dish? This recipe pairs deliciously with vegan creamed pearl onions, roasted brussels sprouts with pomegranate, creamy vegan scalloped potatoes, and apple cranberry salad (to name a few).
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat covered at 350 F / 180 C in the oven (cover for the first 10 minutes) or air fry at the same temperature for 10 minutes or until hot. The microwave is another option, but it’s best to cut a whole squash in half to prevent uneven heating.
Once roasted, the squash skin becomes tender and totally edible.
Wrap leftovers tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven, covered, until warmed through.
More Stuffed Veggie Recipes
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Festive Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash
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Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash - cut lengthwise with seeds removed
- 2 medium leeks - diced
- 1 large celery stalk - diced small (about ½ cup)
- 1 ½ cups button mushrooms - chopped (4-5 medium mushrooms)
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup bulgur - medium or coarse
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup dried cranberries - or diced dried apricots
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. (See note 2 for air fryer instructions,)
- Trim the ends off the squash and cut it lengthwise (see note 1 for tips). Clean out the seeds and rub a pinch of sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt in each squash piece.
- Place the squash, cut side down, on the tray, and bake for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
- While the squash is baking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the leeks, celery, and mushrooms for 5-8 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture.
- Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the skillet by adding the vegetable broth and stirring the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck-on vegetables.
- Stir in the bulgur and adjust the temperature so the broth is simmering. Cover the pan and simmer until the liquid is absorbed (10-15 minutes).
- When the squash is done, allow it to cool enough that you can handle it. Scoop or use a knife to remove the cooked squash flesh, leaving ¼ of an inch around the sides and bottom of the squash skin. Cube the squash flesh and add it to the stuffing.
- Mix in the cranberries and walnuts. Then, stuff each squash skin with the filling.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 F / 180 C. Place the squash on the baking tray and return them to the oven to heat for an additional 10 minutes.
- Cut them in half for 4 servings after baking.
Video
Notes
- To safely cut squash, balance it on the bigger end and cut it straight downwards. Alternatively, you can lay it on its side. Use a folded towel to help keep it secure. To make it even easier, microwave the squash for 2-3 minutes before cutting it.
- To air fry squash, preheat the air fryer to 350 F / 180 C. Place the squash halves, cut side up in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute 1 cup quinoa, millet, or brown rice for bulgur wheat. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of grain you use.
- Make this recipe ahead and store it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil for 2 days. Heat it in the oven (350 F / 180 C), covered for 10 – 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more or until hot. You can also air fry, uncovered, for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating if frozen.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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