This Festive Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash is baked in the oven to perfection. A whole butternut squash is filled flavourful green lentils, cranberries, nuts and seeds. Make it the centrepiece for your Thanksgiving, Christmas table or any roast dinner.
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.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
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!
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Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash Oven Baked
Equipment
- 1 oven
- 1 Roasting tray
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon oil
Stuffing
- 2 stem celery chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cup lentils cooked
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 5 tablespoon dried porchini mushrooms
- 4 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 4 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 2-3 slices roasted peppers
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- In a pan heat oil, 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, roasted garlic, 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash Oven Baked
Equipment
- 1 oven
- 1 Roasting tray
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon oil
Stuffing
- 2 stem celery chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cup lentils cooked
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 5 tablespoon dried porchini mushrooms
- 4 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 4 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 2-3 slices roasted peppers
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- In a pan heat oil, 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, roasted garlic, 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
It’s right time to get in to habit in well balanced and healthy eating after all the festive indulgence over the Christmas and New Year period. Butter, oil and sugar were roaming around freely in my kitchen and kept flowing in our dishes. I better watch out my waistline before my Jeans refuses to fit me 😉
What a fantastic way to include Soup for a healthy and balanced eating, great way to consume lots of veggies, don’t have to sit in one corner and chew for hours but quick way to get a nutritious and balanced meal. Research shows that purely vegetable-based soups are high in nutrition and low calories.
Now that we are truly into winter season and temperatures has dropped here, it’s perfect time to bring soup on the table, naturally home made soups are the best option ! Harrisa Roasted Mixed Squash, Tomatoes and Mixed herb soup ..what can I say about this soup ! Past few months Harrisa rules me and my kitchen, seems every one needs a kick now and then 🙂
We include pumpkin or squash, Broccoli and Spinach on our menu almost each week. On the new year’s day, for lunch we settled for soup, it was fabulous, the spicy paste and roasting made it divine and I used a generous amount of fresh herbs and this only enhances the flavours !
We enjoyed with Tiger Bread Rolls in Instant Pot
You will need :-
- 500 g mixed squash peeled, de seeded and cubed ( I used acorn , Kabocha and sweet dumpling )
- 250 g fresh tomatoes
- 4 tbsp. cashew nuts ( soaked in water for 15 minutes )
- 2 tbsp. thick tomato paste ( optional )
- 4 tbsp. harissa paste
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup or honey
- Salt to taste
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 big onion chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 4-5 tbsp gresh herbs ( I used parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and coriander )
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Thank you for stopping by and reading this post ! We hope to see you again soon 🙂
