Fall and winter are truly the season to celebrate the abundance of butternut squash, packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium and more. One of my favorite ways to prepare butternut squash is in stuffed squash recipes. just open one, scoop out their seeds, and fill that cavity with something delicious—like a savory, veggie filling. In this completely plant-based, gluten-free recipe for Stuffed Butternut Squash with Sage Lentil Stuffing, you simply cook up a rich, earthy filling of lentils, quinoa, walnuts, and sage, then fill the pre-baked squash with the hearty filling. . It’s so easy you can serve it as a one-dish meal any night of the week, yet it’s pretty enough to be the headliner on your holiday table too (think Thanksgiving or Christmas!). Plus, this vegan stuffed butternut squash recipe is a delicious menu item for your entire guest list.
This recipe is perfect for mini butternut squash (pictured above), which I find at my local farmers market so that each person has their own stuffed butternut squash. In this case, use 4 small butternut squash instead of the 2 medium sized butternut squash called for in this recipe (if using medium squash, cut them in half for serving). You can also substitute another type of small winter squash for this recipe, such as acorn, carnival or delicata.
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Description
Make this vegan, gluten-free recipe for Stuffed Squash with Sage Lentil Stuffing for a fall or winter comfort meal or an elegant holiday menu option.
Squash:
- 2 medium butternut squash*
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Sage lentil filling:
Garnish: (optional)
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, revealing the central cavity. Cut out the flesh of the squash to create a cavity for filling (each medium squash half should hold about 1 ¼ cups of filling). Save extra squash flesh for soups or stews. Save extra squash flesh for soups or stews.
- Place the squash halves in one large baking pan (9 x 13 inches).with the cavity facing up. Add water to the bottom of the pan or pan.
- Drizzle the zucchini with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste (optional).
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for 7 minutes. Add quinoa, lentils and sage and sauté for another 2 minutes to toast. Add stock and black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa and lentils are tender.
- Remove the pot with the filling from the heat and drain off any extra liquid left in the mixture that hasn’t been absorbed. Stir in walnuts and cranberries.
- Remove the courgettes from the oven and fill each cavity with filling, packing them in with a spoon and squishing them on top. (Makes about 5 cups filling, 1 ¼ cups filling per squash half). Keep the leftover filling to use as a side dish with your next meal.
- Place the stuffed courgettes back in the oven (do not cover with foil) and cook for a further 15 minutes, until the courgettes are tender when pierced with a fork and the filling is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with sage leaves, if desired.
- Makes 8 servings (1/2 squash per serving)
Notes
*If you can find mini-butternut squash, replace 4 mini-squash with 2 medium-sized squash, using about 1/2 cup filling per squash half.
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 45 minutes
- Category: Entry
- Kitchen: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6 gr
- Sodium: 125 mg
- Fat: 8 gr
- Saturated Fat: 1 gr
- Carbohydrates: 43 gr
- Fiber: 11 gr
- Protein: 11 gr
For other plant-based squash recipes, see:
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