Stuffed Squash – Quinoa, Lentils & Fried Apple + Sage

It is Thanksgiving this weekend here in Canada, which means….. a whole weekend of delicious fall food! For me, since I have three thanksgiving dinners it means three meals of recipe experimenting (the dream)! This vegan stuffed squash is something I came up with earlier in the month when squashes first came into season. I wanted to make sure I posted it before Thanksgiving weekend to add to all of the lovely vegan Thanksgiving dinner inspiration.

Thanksgiving (and other holiday dinners) is usually the last meal vegans or vegetarians consume meat or other animal products. This is a perfect filling (and pretty) substitute for turkey and also makes a great side dish if you’re into the whole ‘Tofurkey’ business. You can also check out Butternut Squash Farro Risotto or Pumpkin Spice Scones for other Thanksgiving inspo!

Vegan Stuffed Squash:

This recipe really only takes 40 minutes, as you can cook everything for the inside of the squash while the squash is baking.

To serve, you can either scoop out the squash and mix it with the quinoa mixture or give each person a separate squash and scoop as you eat (more fun).

If you make this I would love to see how you liked it! Leave a comment or tag @PlentyFullVegan on Instagram.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Quinoa Apple & Kale Stuffed Squash

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Baked acorn squash stuffed with kale, apple, quinoa, lentils and sage.

Recipe type: Dinner

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Acorn Squash
• Cinnamon
• 1 Cup Quinoa, Farro, CousCous or grain of choice
• ½ Cup Lentils*
• 3 Vegetable Broth (Divided for cooking)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Black Pepper
• ½ white or yellow Onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4-5 Fresh Sage Leaves
• 1 Apple
• 2 Stalks of Kale
• ½ Cup Walnuts
• 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• Optional: Fresh herbs to garnish, Tofu Feta or other vegan cheese, Pomegranate

Instructions

1. To cook squash pre-heat oven to 425 F. Cut the acorn squash in quarters to form four 'bowls' and scoop out the seeds. Once the oven is heated sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 35-40 minutes.
2. While the squash is cooking, boil 1 cup of water in a small pot (for the lentils), and 2 cups of water in another small pot (for the grain). Once the water is boiled add in lentils and quinoa to their respective pots and reduce to a simmer. The lentils will take about 20 minutes to cook, cook the grain according to the package directions. Should be anywhere from 15-30 minutes.
3. While the quinoa and lentils are cooking add onion, garlic and sage to a pan with olive oil and cook until the onion is translucent and the sage is fragrant. Add in chopped apple and kale and cook for about 5 minutes until cooked.
4. During the last 5-10 minutes of the squash baking, chop walnuts and coat with maple syrup. Toast in the oven until the squash is finished.
5. When the squash is finished, remove from the oven and let it cool so it's cool enough to touch (but warm enough to eat). Then, scoop out the inner layer so there is more room for filling. You can add the scooped squash to the filling or save it for later. It makes great leftovers mashed, in a soup or salad (I even made hummus with it)!
6. Next, fluff the grain with a fork, ensure there is no water left in the lentil pot and the lentils are cooked all the way through. Combine these with the apple and kale mixture and scoop into the squash bowls. Garnish with the maple toasted walnuts and herbs!
7. This serves 4 as a main or about 8 as a side.

Notes

* Sub canned chickpeas for lentils - add-in at the end when mixing vegetables and quinoa

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