It is vegan and gluten-free. Look no further than this showstopping Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash which is sure to impress your guests. It is finished with a scattered of bejeweled pomegranate arils, making it the crown of your festive dinner. It is the perfect centrepiece for vegan or vegetarian guests.
Why you will love this recipe
Suitable to serve for vegans and vegetarians – it is plant-based and dairy-free Gluten-free Healthy – it is filled with wholesome ingredients that are perfectly balanced Uses seasonal ingredients Easy to customise
Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash Ingredients
Whole butternut squash Oil Stuffing: Roasted red pepper – to line the squash. I used jarred ones. Puy lentils – aka green lentils to form the main bulk of the filling. You can cook the lentils from scratch at home or use tinned ones. Pumpkin seeds Cranberries – this is a festive addition. You could also use dried apricots here Dried porchini mushrooms – alternatively, use nutritional yeast or soy sauce or miso paste for umami. These are optional but add flavour. Walnuts – alternatively try almonds or cashews. Omit to keep the recipe nut-free Onion – I’ve used a white onion, roughly chopped Garlic – roasted Celery – roughly chopped Fresh thyme or rosemary Salt and pepper
How to make Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash – step by step
Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F or Gas Mark 6 Carefully cut the whole butternut squash into two equal halves lengthways using a sharp knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Lay the two halves onto a baking tray and brush generously with oil. Place a few garlic cloves in the tray too to roast for the stuffing later. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Remove the garlic early if it appears to be browning too fast. Do not allow to overcook otherwise the flesh will become too soft. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.
How to make the stuffing for vegan butternut squash
In a pan, saute the chopped onion and celery until softened. In a food processor, roughly blend dried mushrooms, walnuts, cranberries and pumpkin. You are not looking for a smooth paste. Tip in half the cooked green lentils, cooked onion and celery and roughly blitz again. In a large bowl, mix together the blended filling, rest of the lentils, thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
Stuffed Butternut Squash assembly
Remove the squash halves from the oven. Gently line one half with the roasted red pepper. Carefully stuff both halves with the filling, patting it down firmly until both sides are level. Gently place one half on top of the other and secure in place with metal skewers and food safe string. This step is optional, as you can bake the squash halves separately too. Bake again for a further 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Once ready to serve, slice the squash using a sharp knife.
Pro Tips
Do not overcook the squash – it needs to be able to hold its shape. Do not over stuff the squash as it will just fall out. Wait until the squash has cooled just a little before slicing – it might fall apart if it is too hot. Save the pumpkin seeds – roast them and enjoy as a snack or scatter over your morning porridge. You can make this recipe ahead of time.
Serving Suggestion
This vegan stuffed butternut squash is definitely festive and deserves equally jubilent sides! Air Fryer Parsnips, carrots and brussels sprous add extra veggies to the meal Parmentier Potatoes add carbs or go for these extra special Triple Cooked Chips. I love this crunchy and colourful Winter Slaw (Christmas Slaw) for extra veggies. Chestnut Hummus is a great creamy alternative to a chestnut sauce Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce are always a part of our roast dinners. Lashings of veggie gravy (external link) always go down well! I love to scatter over pomegranate arils which look like rubies!
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. It should keep fresh for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this vegan stuffed butternut squash. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Then, roast again in the oven directly from frozen until piping hot through. I’d keep the temperature around
How to make it ahead of time?
You can roast the butternut squash halves the day before. The filling could also be prepared before hand. Prior to serving, stuff the squash and bake until tender.
Other Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut squash raita Butternut squash cannellini beans soup Roasted Butternut squash soup As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. First time published in December 2015.
