Not only is delicata squash good sliced, roasted, pureed into soup, and stuffed with any flavor you can imagine, but you can eat the whole darn squash. That’s right, the skin is edible too! It was only right for me to bring you a delicious, vegetarian, and gluten-free Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash for a healthy weeknight dinner!
How to make stuffed delicata squash with quinoa
This recipe can essentially be broken down into 3 major steps:
First, roast the delicata squash
First, slice the squash in half and scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds before baking. However, don’t throw away those seeds!
It’s totally optional, but you can actually roast the seeds and add them to the filling or even save them for later to use as a topping for soups or salads.
Once you’ve scooped out the stringy flesh, season the squash with salt and pepper and bake for 20-30 minutes until the skin is easily piercable. It should not be fully cooked at this point, but it should be about 90% there.
While the squash is roasting, cook the filling
This step involves adding all the ingredients (except the cheese) to a pot and cooking for 15-20 minutes. The best part about this step is you just need one pot to cook the veggies & quinoa!
Once the filling is cooked, mix in the shredded cheese.
If you want to keep the dish vegan, simply skip the cheese or replace it with vegan cheese for an easy swap.
Stuff the Squash & roast everything together!
Put the filling into the delicata squash boats and pile it high!
After that, bake the stuffed delicata squash for another 10 minutes so everything gets nice and crispy. I like mine topped with avocado, cilantro, and some fresh lime juice!
P.S- I have stories saved to my Instagram page @ShortGirlTallOrder showing you the recipe steps, so definitely go check those out if you want a more in-depth view into how to make these squash!
Is this stuffed squash recipe healthy?
This dish is super filling, very healthy, and will satisfy any plant-based or meat-eater! I know, because I happen to be dating a meat lover who told me this is his favorite recipe on the blog to date. Being a vegetarian who eats vegan 90% of the time, going on diets like Keto or Whole 30 doesn’t work great for me. That’s why I try really hard to create healthy recipes that are still filling, cozy, and delicious for SGTO.
In addition to tasting great, delicata squash contains loads of Vitamin A, C, and Fiber.
A lot of the nutrition from this recipe comes from the powerhouse ingredient of quinoa added to this recipe!
It’s one of my favorite ingredients to eat as a vegetarian because it is a complete protein (meaning it contains all the 9 essential amino acids that we have to get from our diet). If you end up having any leftover quinoa, I recommend making my Black Bean Quinoa Burgers or Pesto Quinoa Bowls next!
How to store as leftovers
If you are going to store this stuffed delicata squash as leftovers it can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend separating the delicata squash between layers of parchment paper or tin foil to prevent them from smushing together.
This baked delicata squash recipe also freezes well! Simply store it between sheets of parchment paper in a closed container to prevent it from freezing together. A few hours before eating, place it in the fridge or on the counter to defrost. Then, reheat in the oven at 200F until warmed throughout or reheat in the microwave!
FAQ & Substitutions:
Can you eat delicata squash skin?
Yes! That is why I love this recipe so much. The delicata squash serves as a bowl AND it’s edible.
Can I make this recipe vegan?
For sure! Just replace the cheddar cheese with your favorite vegan cheese or omit it all together. It isn’t essential to the recipe and every other ingredient is vegan.
I hope you all love this HEALTHY, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGETARIAN, and SEASONAL Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash recipe!
-TSG
Looking for more comforting vegetarian recipes for dinner? Check out these SGTO favorites!
Vegan Butternut Squash & Pear Pizza
Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Pasta
Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash
A delicious Stuffed Delicata Squash filled with quinoa, red onion, chopped tomatoes, green pepper, spices, and cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 medium delicata squash (sliced in half, with seeds and stringy flesh removed)
- 1 Tbsp oil (*to coat the delicata, can be replaced with cooking spray)
- 1/2 cup dried quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 large onion or 1 small onion chopped)
- 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes (8 oz, about 1/2 of a 14 oz can)
- 1 cup chopped green pepper (about 1 small green pepper chopped)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded mexican cheese blend (*optional, ideal is a mix of cheddar and jack cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- While the oven is preheating, slice the delicata squash in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and stringy flesh from the inside. Discard the stringy flesh, but save the seeds for roasting!
- Next, season the inside of each squash with oil or cooking spray, salt, and pepper. Spray a large baking sheet with additional cooking spray. Then, place the squash on the tray with the seasoned size down. Next, add to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until the skin is easily pierceable and the inside is soft and tender.
- While the squash is roasting, cook the filling. Chop your onions and peppers and add them to a pot with the dried quinoa, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and seasoning.
- Cook the filling over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until all the broth has been soaked up and the quinoa is cooked. Remove the cooked filling from the heat and stir in the cup of shredded cheese.
- Pull out the roasted squash from the oven and flip over so the seasoned inside is now facing up. Fill each squash with 1/4 of the filling. Then, add the squash back to the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes to crisp everything up.
- Remove from the oven and top with your choice of toppings!
Notes
Squash will keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the oven at 200F or in a microwave.
If you add toppings fresh avocado, cilantro, and lime juice are all great choices!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 stuffed squashAmount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 10g
ShortGirlTallOrder occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although shortgirltallorder.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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