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Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Mushrooms & Kale

A cosy vegan stuffed butternut squash with quinoa, mushrooms, kale and cranberries, topped with vegan feta. Perfect as a vegan Christmas main or centrepiece for a roast dinner.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients
  

For the Squash
  • 1 butternut squash, whole
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil, for roasting
For the Filling
  • ½ cup quinoa rinsed
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 small red onion diced
  • 300 g mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tbsp parsley stems finely chopped
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups kale chopped, stems removed
  • 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  • ½ cup pine nuts toasted
  • 200 g vegan feta crumbled, to serve

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Halve the butternut squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and dust with cinnamon. Place cut side up on a baking tray and roast for about 1 hour, until the flesh is tender.
  2. While the squash roasts, cook the quinoa in the vegetable stock according to the packet instructions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
  3. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Tip into a small bowl and set aside.
  4. In the same pan, heat a little olive oil. Sauté the red onion, mushrooms and chopped parsley stems with a pinch of salt and pepper for about 5 minutes, until softened.
  5. Add the garlic, kale and parsley leaves. Cook for a few minutes until the kale has wilted.
  6. Stir in the cooked quinoa, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
  7. When the squash is cooked, let it cool slightly. Carefully scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about a 2 cm border so the shells hold their shape. Pack the quinoa filling firmly into each half.
  8. Press the halves back together and tie around the squash a few times with kitchen string. Return to the baking tray and bake for a further 25 minutes, until heated through.
  9. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Remove the string, transfer to a platter and top with crumbled vegan feta and extra parsley to serve.

Video

Notes

  • You can roast the butternut squash and make the quinoa filling a day ahead. Keep them separate in the fridge, then stuff, tie and do the second bake just before serving.
  • Don’t scoop the squash too aggressively – leaving about a 2 cm border helps it hold its shape and slice neatly.
  • The scooped-out squash doesn’t go to waste: mash it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for an easy side, or stir it into soup later in the week.
  • For a nut-free version, swap the pine nuts for toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
  • This vegan stuffed butternut squash is naturally gluten free as long as you use gluten-free vegetable stock.
  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in the oven until piping hot, then crumble over fresh vegan feta before serving.