• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Vegetarian Sides
    • Vegan Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Gluten- Free
    • Refined-Sugar Free Desserts
    • 10 Ingredients or Less
    • 30 Minutes or Less
  • Popular Recipes
  • About
    • Discount Codes
    • Lifestyle
  • Work With Me
  • Subscribe

ShortGirlTallOrder logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Popular Recipes
  • Breakfast + Brunch
  • Lunch & Dinner Mains
  • Vegan Desserts
  • Drinks
  • About
  • Work with me
  • Follow ShortGirlTallOrder On:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Vegetarian Lunch + Dinner

    Vegan Apple Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

    Published: Nov 16, 2020 · Modified: Apr 21, 2022 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    1.8K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    stuffed squash with text "vegan wild rice apple stuffed acorn squash".

    This Vegan Apple Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is officially my favorite way to eat squash! Roasted acorn squash is filled with apple, cranberries, mushrooms, wild rice, & kale for a vegetarian & gluten-free squash recipe that is wholesome, delicious, and full of flavor.

    It can sometimes be hard to know what to serve to vegetarians, but this stuffed acorn squash is truly the perfect main dish for a Vegan Thanksgiving or as a Fall dinner idea.

    When served alongside Caramelized Mashed Potatoes & Green Bean Almondine, you have yourself an epic vegetarian meal!

    How to make apple wild rice stuffed acorn squash

    While the full recipe & instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post, let's quickly recap how to make this vegan stuffed acorn squash!

    Prep & bake the acorn squash

    To prep acorn squash, wash it, slice it in half stem to end, and scoop out the fleshy seed-filled inside. Then, rub the inside of each squash with a little olive oil, salt, & pepper to season.

    Once the squash is prepped, place it onto an aluminum baking tray covered in parchment paper with the flesh side facing down. Then add to a preheated oven and roast at 400F for 40-45 minutes until cooked through.

    My best tip is to check if the squash is cooked through? Pierce the inside with a fork. It should be easy to pierce all the way through when it's fully cooked.

    three pictures- two of acorn squash sliced in half before being baked and the third picture of baked acorn squash
    Acorn Squash Before & After Roasting

    How do I know acorn squash is ripe?

    It's all about the color! Ripe squash will be a deep green color mixed with deep orange. Fun fact- The orange color is actually where the squash was lying on the ground as it was growing as it did not see the sun.

    Cook the wild rice

    For this wild rice stuffed squash, we are cooking the rice while the squash is roasting in the oven. While wild rice takes much longer to cook than brown/white rice, I promise it is worth the extra time. It has a nutty flavor and, once cooked, is chewy & delicious! In fact, you may have already cooked with it if you've tried my Vegan Wild Rice Mushroom Soup!

    I love cooking with wild rice because it has a ton of fiber & protein while still being a great gluten-free grain! For this recipe, we are using ½ cup wild rice and cooking it with 1.5 cups of veggie broth for the best flavor.

    To cook add the rice & broth to a pot, stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes until tender. P.S- if you need more tips, check out this post on How to Cook Wild Rice.

    Cook all other ingredients in a large pan

    While this recipe involves three distinct steps, we are really doing all three at the same time since cooking the squash and wild rice is pretty hands-off. This makes it so this whole stuffed squash recipe comes together in 1 hour!

    two pictures of garlic and shallots being sautéed in a pan and a second picture showing mushrooms added to pan
    Left: Sautéing shallots & garlic, Right: Adding mushrooms to pan

    First, add the oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add in the chopped shallots & minced garlic and cook for 3 minutes until they are beginning to caramelize.

    Then, add in the chopped mushrooms. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are starting to get browned and crisp.

    Next, add in the chopped kale and chopped apples and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add in the pepitas, dried cranberries, seasoning, and cooked wild rice and mix everything together.

    two pictures showing kale and apples being added to pan and a final pan full of wild rice stuffing with vegetables
    Left: Adding kale & chopped apples to the pan, Right: Final mix of wild rice stuffing with wild rice, pepitas, and dried cranberries added in

    Add wild rice apple stuffing to squash

    As a final step, add the wild rice & apple stuffing to the cooked squash. I like my squash overflowing with stuffing, so I think this recipe is perfect to make 4 stuffed squash halves. However, if you are okay with less stuffing it could easily make enough to fill 6 squash halves.

    Then, dig in and enjoy this delicious vegan acorn squash recipe!

    FAQ & Substitutions:

    Can you eat the skin of acorn squash?

    Yes! That's one of the best parts of these roasted acorn squash boats- the whole squash is edible!

    Can this recipe be prepped in advance?

    You bet! That's what makes this recipe a perfect vegan main dish for Thanksgiving or really any holiday celebration.

    If making ahead of time, just store the stuffed squash in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If stored in the fridge, you can also store each squash wrapped in aluminum foil. To reheat add to a tray, cover with foil, and bake until warmed throughout.

    Can I make this recipe with white/brown rice?

    Yes! Just keep in mind that the cooking time for white/brown rice is usually around 20 minutes, so make sure to follow the package instructions. Otherwise, any rice variety or even quinoa could work great in this recipe.

    I can't wait for you all to make this Vegan Apple Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe! It'ss truly the perfect savory & sweet vegan dinner recipe for any Holiday celebration. Enjoy!

    -TSG

    More savory vegan recipes for the holidays you will love:

    • Whole Roasted Cauliflower
    • The BEST Vegan Stuffing
    • Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprout Risotto
    • Vegan Lentil Baked Ziti

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, apples, mushrooms, kale, topped with fresh sage & fresh thyme

    Vegan Apple Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

    A hearty & filling roasted acorn squash stuffed with an apple, veggie, & wild rice filling!
    4.76 from 33 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegetarian Lunch + Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 4 stuffed squash
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 2 acorn squash halved and deseeded
    • ½ cup wild rice uncooked
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or vegetable stock
    • 2 Tablespoons oil
    • 2 shallots finely chopped
    • 6 cloves garlic finely minced
    • 2 cups chopped mushrooms
    • 2 cups chopped kale loosely packed
    • 1 sweet red apple chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)
    • 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper more or less to taste
    • ¼ cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds
    • 2 Tablespoons dried cranberries
    • fresh thyme & fresh sage optional, I add about 1 tsp of each

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, wash the acorn squash, slice each in half from stem to end, and remove the seeds & stringy flesh inside. Add the squash halves to a baking tray covered with parchment paper and season by rubbing with olive oil, salt, & pepper. Then, flip upside down so the fleshy inside is facing down and add to the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Once cooked, flip over and set aside to be filled.
    • Once the squash is in the oven, add the wild rice and vegetable broth to a small saucepan and stir together. Cover, turn on the heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Cooked wild rice will be chewy, but should be tender.
    • While the squash and wild rice are cooking, make the filling. Cut the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, apples, and kale before starting. Then, add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat.
    • Once the oil is hot, add in the shallots & garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until beginning to brown and caramelize. Then, add in the chopped mushrooms, stir, and cook together for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are beginning to brown and crisp.
    • Next, add the chopped kale, chopped apples, salt, and pepper. Stir and sauté with the other ingredients over low heat for another 2-3 minutes until the kale has wilted and the apples are slightly cooked.
    • Then, turn off the heat and add in the pepitas, dried cranberries, cooked wild rice, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. Mix together and season with additional salt & pepper to your liking.
    • Fill each cooked acorn squash half with the wild rice stuffing. Then, garnish with additional fresh sage & thyme and serve warm. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Squash is great prepped a day ahead! To store leftovers, place in a closed container or wrap in aluminum foil and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    • To reheat, preheat an oven to 200F and add the squash to a tray and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until warmed throughout (about 15-20 minutes). They can also be microwaved, but it is not recommended for the best texture
    • Acorn squash skin can be eaten and is delicious!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1stuffed squash half | Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 973mg | Potassium: 1440mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4356IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
    « The BEST Vegan Stuffing
    Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread »

    Sign up for our newsletter!

    And receive our FREE ebook with 6 must make SGTO vegan dinner recipes ready in 40 minutes or less!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. robyne says

      November 12, 2022 at 4:01 pm

      The first time I've ever had acorn squash and this recipe was delicious! My daughter even liked it! I didn't have any mushrooms or cranberries, so I added some chick peas and swapped in chopped dates for the cranberries...still fabulous! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 12, 2022 at 4:23 pm

        Sounds delicious- thanks for sharing your substitutions too! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lynn says

      February 09, 2022 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      Such a tasty meal! I use my instant pot to cook the rice. Thank you for this wonderful recipe,

      Reply
      • Megan says

        February 09, 2022 at 2:11 pm

        So glad you liked it and that the rice worked well in an Instant Pot!

        Reply
    3. Tamara Fletcher says

      November 30, 2021 at 11:08 pm

      I'm making this for a meal train and wondering if it is best to prep it but not put it back in oven and have the recipient do that part. Thoughts?

      Reply
      • Megan says

        December 01, 2021 at 2:42 am

        Hmm I'm not sure what part you are referring to. The squash gets baked and then stuffed with the filling, so it doesn't need to go back in the oven. However, you can definitely reheat it in the oven or microwave with it being fully stuffed. I've only stored the acorn squash after filling them, but you could definitely store them separately if you prefer- but I don't think it will make a huge difference for reheating. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Pam says

      November 21, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      Do you have more specific recommendation for reheating option from the fridge? About how long and at about what temp? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 21, 2021 at 7:44 pm

        I personally just microwave it, but if you're using an oven I usually recommend setting the temperature to 200F for reheating food. Then just cook until it's warmed throughout- likely 15-20 minutes but could depend slightly on the size of the squash. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. Debbie says

      November 21, 2021 at 1:08 am

      5 stars
      I made this today and it was fabulous. Thank you

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 21, 2021 at 1:25 am

        You're so welcome!

        Reply
    6. Jude says

      November 09, 2021 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      This was SIX stars!!!! I did make some little adjustments of more salt and 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning. It will definitely make the cut for thanksgiving this year!!! Thanks for a great recipe! Jude

      Reply
      • Megan says

        November 10, 2021 at 1:46 pm

        Thank you for the amazing review and shared your additions too!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    picture of girl with curly hair holding a spoon of food.

    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

    More about me →

    Follow SGTO:

    Valentine Day Desserts:

    • Vegan Cardamom Rose Cupcakes
    • Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake
    • Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
    • Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
    • Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Contact

    Resources

    • All Recipes
    • Popular Recipes
    • Discount Codes

    Terms & Conditions

    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2023 ShortGirlTallOrder®. All Rights Reserved.