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Plant-based sausage, lentils, kale, and pepitas come together to make a heavenly filling for vegan stuffed acorn squash. (This recipe happens to be gluten-free!)
If you're looking for a delicious main dish to make for a family dinner, Thanksgiving, or Christmas this stuffed squash fits the bill. It's flavorful, satiating, and super festive. The filling is also packed with protein and nutrition while still tasting indulgent.
Soft, seasoned lentils paired with crunchy pepitas and vegan sausage is heaven in your mouth. Plus, we're adding some greens in there. Top with vegan parmesan for extra umami flavor!
Ingredients
This vegan acorn stuffed squash recipe is super customizable so make sure to check out the "variations" section below.
See recipe card for quantities.
- Acorn squash: This recipe calls for two medium-sized squash.
- Maple syrup
- Black pepper and salt
- Vegan sausage: There are several brands of vegan sausage that can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Or, you can make homemade tempeh sausage crumbles.
- Pepitas
- Vegan parmesan: Make this homemade version or grab your favorite from the store.
- Seasoned Lentils:
- Dried lentils
- Vegetable broth: We'll be using veggie broth instead of water to cook the lentils because it offers more flavor.
- Allspice and garlic
- Fresh kale
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Instructions
Cook the Squash
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut the acorn squash in half, horizontally. Scoop out the pulp/seeds and discard (or you can roast the seeds in place of the pepitas.)
- Place on the baking sheet. Trim the pointy ends off so the squash will sit flat. Brush with maple syrup and sprinkle a little black pepper and salt on top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender.
Prepare the Sausage
- Prepare the vegan sausage according to the package instructions, or make crumbled tempeh sausage (instructions here), while the squash bakes.
Cook the Lentils
- Simmer the lentils with the vegetable broth, allspice, and garlic until the lentils are tender. Find specific cooking times on the lentils package.
- When the lentils are finished cooking, turn off the heat but leave the pot on the burner. Mix in the chopped kale and cover for 5 minutes until the kale is tender.
Stuff It
- In a large bowl, mix the lentils with the vegan sausage and pepitas.
- Stuff the tender squash halves with the filling. Top with vegan parmesan and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve warm!
Variations
This recipe is super easy to adjust to your preferences.
- Kale: Instead of kale, use your favorite greens! Spinach or collard greens are great options.
- Pepitas: You can use sunflower seeds instead.
- Vegan sausage: Other protein sources like tofu or TVP can be substituted.
- Squash: This recipe can also be made with butternut squash - or even baking pumpkins! The cooking times may vary.
Make Ahead and Storage
Stuffed squash is actually a favorite meal prep recipe of mine during the fall season. It stores and reheats very well.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, I prefer to microwave my stuffed squash for about 3 minutes. You can also heat it back up in the oven at 375°F for about 15 minutes.
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Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Recipe
Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- black pepper and salt to taste
- ½ cup vegan sausage crumbles
- ¼ cup pepitas
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan
Seasoned Lentils
- ½ cup dried lentils
- 1½ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups fresh kale or baby spinach chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut the acorn squash in half, horizontally. Scoop out the pulp/seeds and discard (or you can roast the seeds in place of the pepitas.)
- Place on the baking sheet. Trim the pointy ends off so the squash will sit flat. Brush with maple syrup and sprinkle a little black pepper on top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender.
- Prepare the sausage according to the package instructions, or make crumbled tempeh sausage (instructions here) and the lentils while the squash bakes.
Seasoned Lentils
- Cook the lentils, in a medium-sized pot, according to the package instructions - but use the vegetable stock in place of the water, and mix in the allspice and garlic powder.
- When the lentils are finished cooking, turn off the heat but leave the pot on the burner. Mix in the chopped kale and cover for 5 minutes until the kale is tender.
- In a large bowl, mix the lentils with the tempeh sausage and pepitas.
- When the squash is tender, scoop in the filling. Top with vegan parmesan and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve warm! Sometimes I like to drizzle a little extra maple syrup over top of the squash before serving.
LeAnna says
The sausage mix was so good! I will definitely make it again. To the sausage I added some maple and fennel seeds! In the stuffing mix I added some sauteed onions, celery and carrots because I had some left over to use. Delicious fall receipe!
Karissa says
Love your modifications! Happy you enjoyed it!
Latasha Metcalfe says
These squash where soooo very Delicious. I made them for Thanksgiving for my sister and I. I also sauteed onions and celery to my sausage. I loved them so much I plan to make them again next week. Thanks for a great fall recipe.
Susan Wright says
looks great thank you for this
Lora says
Delicious! Tempeh is so versatile. Great way to jazz up acorn squash.
Vegetable gardeners sometimes lose track of zucchini that grow too large. Stuffing a huge, tough zucchini this way would be tasty too. Probably shorter baking time.