I first made this stuffed acorn squash recipe for Thanksgiving, but its spiced quinoa filling is so good that it's become one of my go-to fall recipes.
The year I first became vegetarian I truly missed the turkey part of turkey day. It seems like ages ago now, but back then I barely knew how to cook for myself, let alone embrace seasonal foods like squashes, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes (you know, the kind without marshmallows).
Now, with hearty vegetarian main dishes like this stuffed acorn squash, I couldn’t miss the turkey less. When I started working on this recipe, I knew I wanted to make an unconventional stuffed squash. Obviously, you won’t find ground beef or a sausage and apple combination here, but I also veered off the traditional vegetarian stuffed acorn squash path. Instead of using wild rice, dried cranberries, and onions and celery in my filling, I went in a totally different direction: Tex-Mex!
Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe Ingredients
This stuffed acorn squash filling is DELICIOUS, hearty, and healthy. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Cooked quinoa and black beans make up its hearty base.
- Avocado adds creaminess.
- Cumin and coriander spice it up.
- Feta gives it a tangy, salty punch of flavor.
- Onion, green onions, and green chiles add heat and depth of flavor.
- Pepitas add crunch.
- Lime brightens it up.
While the squash roasts, sauté the onion and stir in the other ingredients. When the squash halves are tender and golden brown, remove them from the oven and load them up with the yummy filling! Enjoy!
Stuffed Acorn Squash Serving Suggestions
If you serve this stuffed acorn squash recipe at Thanksgiving, I’m sure you’ll have a spread of dishes like cornbread stuffing, cauliflower mashed potatoes, an autumn salad, and apple pie or crumble to go with it.
If you make it on its own, I recommend pairing it with a simple veggie side like roasted beets, lemon green beans, or roasted cauliflower. Alternatively, embrace its Mexican flavors and pair it with my Mexican street corn salad!
Depending on the size of your acorn squash, you may have some of the filling left over. My leftover suggestion: make post T-giving tacos!
If you love this stuffed acorn squash recipe…
Try my butternut squash soup, roasted spaghetti squash, delicata squash, squash curry, or squash stuffed shells next!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
- 3-4 small acorn squash, sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 (4 ounce) can of green chiles
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ cup toasted pepitas
- ¼ cup feta cheese (optional)
- 2 avocados, diced
- A few squeezes of lime
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the insides. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast cut side up for for about 35-50 minutes or until your squash is tender in the middle and browned around the edges. (The timing will depend on your squash. If it’s taking too long to become tender, flip it upside down for a portion of the roasting time).
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook the onion until translucent, then add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and stir. Add the green chiles and stir again, then add the quinoa, black beans, scallions, pepitas, feta cheese, a squeeze of lime, and a bit more salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove skillet from the heat, let it cool, then stir in the diced avocado. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Scoop the filling into the acorn squashes halves. (Note: if you’re not scooping the filling into the squashes right away, scoop the mixture out of the pan and into a bowl and set aside.)
Vegan option: skip the cheese.
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I’m seriously in love with those flavours! Looks fantastic!
I’ll most likely be eating avocado and roasted garlic on bread as an appetizer!
The day after Thanksgiving I’d make turkey tostadas and top them with avocado…yum!
What a creative recipe! My idea would probably be making a kale salad with roasted butternut squash, avocados, and pepitas!
What a sweet giveaway! I must win this. Actually, I was seriously thinking of an avocado side dish for Thanksgiving the other day. I make sure to avocados with each of my bi-weekly co-op organic produce baskets, but I have to get avocados from the grocery store in between deliveries; I can’t get enough of them!
When I was in Miami over Labor Day, I went to Yardbird, a restaurant that is, in a word, amazing. We had a kale salad with thinly sliced green apples, cheddar cheese, cornbread croutons, moonshine raisins, and a cider vinegar. I love cubed avocado with olive oil and red wine vinegar so I think avocado would be great added to the kale salad. I’m going to try it!
Ps: pick me, pick me
I love this idea! I would make something with avocado and cranberries (my favorite food part of Thanksgiving!)
I never would have thought to add avocado to this recipe! What a unique twist. I included a link to this page in my Thanksgiving inspiration post because I think this would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving spread! Thanks for sharing.
aw, thank you!
Definitely my kind of meal! Beautiful. I make Mexican stuffed squash all the time in the winter. Lately I’ve been dreaming up a stuffed pumpkin for a huge dinner crowd.
Yum to anything with avocado! I do a southwestern style sweet potato salad with black bean, non gmo corn, avocado, red onion, chipotles, cumin and lime. Served warm or at room temp. Its delicious and nutritious.
yum! You’re pretty much describing my go-to fall salad 🙂
This looks really good! I’m trying to have at least 2 vegetarian meals a week, and it’s sometimes challenging because my husband needs substantial food, but can’t abide hot cheese or strong cheese (my go-to option to add protein to veggie food). This week we’ve done well, as we’ve had veg curry with rice and naan bread 2 nights in a row (2nd night tasted better, as ever!).
We both love avocados and I think the black beans could persuade my husband that he’s getting a mexican style dinner, so this could work! I might slip in a tiny bit of feta, too…
I love them when I’m trying to cut back on cheese too – hope your husband likes it – with the squash, this is definitely a substantial meal.
Avocado, the world’s most perfect food?? Um, yeah of course!! I share your love – there’s hardly a day I don’t have an avocado in the house or in a meal. That being said, we don’t really do a proper Thanksgiving living in Switzerland, but I’m making a roasted Brussels sprout and parsnip dish for a Thanksgiving-ish party this weekend and may add avocado to top along with a drizzle of lemon-dijon dressing.
I’ve stuffed acorn squashes every which way, but never once did I think of avocado.These flavors are so unique together!
I think a big salad with avocado, pomegranates, arugula, bits of corn, etc. would be lovely at the Thanksgiving table as a lighter dish to foil the entrees.
I never thought about pairing avocado with acorn squash, but it looks delicious! I eat avocados all the time – they really are the perfect food! For Thanksgiving, I was planning on making a gorgeous massaged kale salad with roasted winter squash, pomegranate seeds, and diced avocado (of course)! Have a great holiday!
This recipe looks so delicious!! I have never thought to use avocado at Thanksgiving, but you inspired me, so I’m thinking of cilantro mashed potatoes with an avocado crema instead of gravy!
I’m obsessed with avocados, too – and don’t quite know what to do with myself when I don’t have one in the house. I also love acorn squash, and this looks delicious. I just recently discovered your blog and absolutely love it … Your pictures are stunning and make me want to make every single recipe!
love love love this. I may just make this as a post thanksgiving dish. I adore avocado. I thought about making avocado chocolate mousse. I will definitely be making salad with roasted squash roasted red pepper pomegranate seeds and avocado. Yummmmmm!
I eat at least an entire avocado a day. Never seen it used to stuff an acorn squash, so I’ll have to give it a try.
I wish I could eat avocados every day! But at $2 apiece most of the year, it’s way beyond our budget. In a perfect post-Thanksgiving world, though, I’d make wraps with leftovers and avocado to freshen up that turkey!
Stuffed acorn squash is sooooo much fun. So much you can do with these
tasty ‘bowls’. This is a prime example.
That looks really tasty! I also love avocados. I’ll eat them any old way!