Stuffed Acorn Squash with a Cranberry-Walnut Sauce
This Stuffed Acorn Squash will be the talk of the dinner table. The gluten-free squash makes a delicious bowl for the quinoa and vegetable mixture. This warm and healthy fall dish is hearty, dairy-free, wholesome, and delicious. Enjoy it straight out of the oven with a drizzle of my Cranberry-Walnut Sauce. Yum!
You are Going to Love This Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry Walnut Sauce
Talk about festive, this dinner recipe is one-of-a-kind. You’ve seen the traditional stuffed acorn recipes but this sauce just takes it to a different level! And, there’s even more to love.
It’s absolutely delicious. If you are looking for a tasty meal, look no further. My husband asks me to make this all of the time, it’s that good.
It makes for leftovers. This recipe will make four halves but let me tell you, one half is plenty for a meal. So, my husband and I always eat one half, and then we have leftovers for the next night’s dinner. Heck yeah!
It’s very healthy. Squash is power-packed with numerous vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and packed with healthy fats, protein, and carbs.
It’s hearty. I’m telling you, you will be satisfied after eating just one serving of this recipe. That’s because there is a healthy balance of healthy fats, healthy carbohydrates, protein, and fiber within this recipe.
It’s adaptable. Did you know that you could easily add other ingredients to this meal? Just simply add what you’d like into the quinoa mixture. If you are into chicken sausage, go for it. Or, how about dried cranberries, do it!
Why is Acorn Squash So Healthy?
There are so many health benefits to eating a plant-based diet. Even if you can’t fathom the idea of giving up meat, have you thought about incorporating meatless meals or better yet, meatless days into your week? Let’s explore the benefits.
Reduced inflammation-Did you know that certain foods cause your body to stay inflamed? And, inflammation leads to possible illness, injury, and disease. The goal should be to consume an anti-inflammatory diet that includes a large number of vegetables.
Lower levels of LDL cholesterol– I am sure you’ve heard by now that HDL is the “healthy” cholesterol and LDL is the “lousy” cholesterol. You should consistently focus on lowering your LDL levels and increasing your HDL levels. A plant-based diet can help with this.
Improved gut health-Our gut is our powerhouse, literally. Based on its health, it can make or break our livelihood. A diet filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like avocados is just what your gut needs to thrive.
And, many more benefits-The list goes on and on like improved athletic performance, reduced arthritis pain, and reduced risk of cancer, dementia, heart disease, and diabetes.
Ingredients
For the acorn squash:
Avocado oil-I switched to this oil instead of olive oil years ago when the news came out that avocado oil can be heated to high temperatures.
Acorn squash-You know it’s officially the fall season when the grocery stores are stocked with this squash. The squash is the base of this meal. It’s the best part, in my opinion.
Cooked quinoa-This is my favorite healthy carbohydrate to cook with. It’s fluffy, and soft, and makes the meal hearty.
Red onion-I love the kick that the onion brings to this dish. I like to use red onion but a yellow onion would work as well.
Red bell pepper-This is the main vegetable cooked within the quinoa. It brings out a crisp flavor.
Great northern beans-They are also called white beans or cannellini beans. They are smooth and not too powerful of a flavor. We can thank these beans for the nice amount of protein in this dish.
Garlic-Let’s be honest, garlic is a staple to my recipes. And, make sure you only use fresh garlic. Powdered garlic just isn’t the same.
Lemon juice-Adding this citrus to the acorn squash ties everything together. Make sure to use fresh lemon juice instead of from a bottle.
Walnuts-This is the last ingredient to throw into the quinoa mixture. The walnuts bring a perfect crunch to this dinner and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Golden raisins-This sweet addition is one of my favorite ingredients. I love the perfect amount of natural sweetness they provide.
Salt and pepper-These are always finishing spices to most meals. Go ahead and put as much as your heart desires.
For the cranberry-walnut sauce:
Cranberries
Marinated artichokes in a jar
Fresh garlic
Raw walnuts
Fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Pure maple syrup
Fresh lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
How to Make This Recipe
Step one: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or tinfoil.
Step two: Prepare the acorn squash. Wash the outer skin and use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise down the center of the squash. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and strings from the centers. Place the halves cut side up on the lined cookie sheet.
Drizzle each half with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I like to use my hands to cover the whole half with oil).
Cook them in the oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your acorn squash. Check for tenderness by poking the thickest part of the squash with a fork. If it easily goes through, they are finished cooking. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, using the same cookie sheet, add in the cranberries and roast them for 10 minutes.
Step three: While the squash is cooking, cook the dry quinoa on the stove. Add 1 cup of quinoa and 3 cups of filtered water. and a pinch of salt to a saucepan, add the lid and cook on high until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has soaked up all of the water. Remove it from the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork. Set it aside.
Step four: Using the saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced onion and a pinch of salt and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
Next, add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, the cooked quinoa, the strained Great Northern Beans, juice from 1/2 a lemon, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the quinoa mixture from the head. Add in the chopped walnuts and golden raisins and mix everything up.
Step five: Now it’s time to stuff the acorn squash. Leave the cooked acorn squash on the cookie sheet, remove the cranberries, and set them aside.
Using a large spoon, place several spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture into the center of the acorn squash. Press down with the back of your spoons to stuff it well. Definitely make sure you put extra so that it is overflowing in the center with the mixture but not falling off of the sides. Place them back into the oven for 15 minutes.
Step six: While the acorn squash is finishing up in the oven, make your sauce. To a high-speed blender, add the cooked cranberries, a jar of drained marinated artichokes, garlic, walnuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, maple syrup, water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend it all up until a creamy sauce is formed.
Remove the stuffed squash from the oven. Carefully transfer one-half to a plate. Drizzle with the cranberry walnut sauce, and sprinkle the tops with salt, pepper, and optional minced parsley.
Tips + Modifications
There are a few modifications to this recipe.
Squash: Feel free to use spaghetti squash or your favorite fall squash instead of acorn.
Beans: The Great Northern beans could be replaced with garbanzo, black, or pinto bean varieties.
No sauce: If you are skipping the sauce, no problem. Just add additional fresh squeezed lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil over each top.
Save time: For the sauce, feel free to make it ahead of time and stick it in the fridge.
How to Store Stuffed Acorn Squash
My favorite way to store these halves is to individually place them into glass bowls with lids. They will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, place the squash half on a microwavable plate, add a napkin over top, and microwave it until heated through.
How Did You Like the Squash?
I know you will enjoy this recipe! I would love to hear from you. Drop a comment below and a star rating to let me know what you think! I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Take a look at these other delicious fall dinner recipes:
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry-Walnut Sauce (plant-based)
Equipment
- 1 lined cookie sheet
- 1 saute pan
- 1 high speed blender
Ingredients
For the acorn squash:
- 2 acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (16oz) can of Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Cranberry-Walnut sauce:
- 1 cup cranberries, cooked
- 1 (12oz) jar of marinated artichokes, drained, not rinsed
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
For the Acorn Squash:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or tinfoil.
- Prepare the acorn squash. Wash the outer skin and use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise down the center of the squash. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and strings from the centers. Place the halves cut side up on the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle each half with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I like to use my hands to cover the whole half with oil). Cook them in the oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your acorn squash. Check for tenderness by poking the thickest part of the squash with a fork. If it easily goes through, they are finished cooking. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, using the same cookie sheet, add in the cranberries and roast them for 10 minutes.
- While the squash is cooking, cook the dry quinoa on the stove. Add 1 cup of quinoa, and 3 cups of filtered water. and a pinch of salt to a saucepan, add the lid, and cook on high until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has soaked up all of the water. Remove it from the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork. Set it aside.
- Using the saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced onion and a pinch of salt and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Next, add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, the cooked quinoa, the strained Great Northern Beans, juice from 1/2 a lemon, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the quinoa mixture from the heat and add in the chopped walnuts and golden raisins and mix everything up.
- Now it's time to stuff the acorn squash. Leave the cooked acorn squash on the cookie sheet and remove the cranberries and set them aside. Using a large spoon, place several spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture into the center of the acorn squash. Press down with the back of your spoons to stuff it well. Definitely make sure you put extra so that it is overflowing in the center with the mixture but not falling off of the sides. Place them back into the oven for 15 minutes.
For the Cranberry-Walnut Sauce:
- While the acorn squash is finishing up in the oven, make your sauce. To a high-speed blender, add the cooked cranberries, a jar of drained marinated artichokes, garlic, walnuts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, maple syrup, water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend it all up until a creamy sauce is formed. Remove the stuffed squash from the oven. Carefully transfer one-half to a plate. Drizzle with the cranberry walnut sauce, and sprinkle the tops with salt, pepper, and optional minced parsley.
Notes
Enjoy!
XOXO
Michelle