Name: Vegan Rice-Stuffed Delicata Squash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 medium delicata squashes; 1 1/4 cups brown rice or exotic whole-grain rice blend (we like RiceSelect Royal Blend with red quinoa and freekeh (about 238g)); 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water (low-sodium (about 600mL)); 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ((about 15mL)); 1 medium red onion (or 1/2 large, finely chopped); 3-4 cloves garlic (minced); 1/2 medium red bell pepper (finely diced); 1/4 cup dry white wine or water ((about 60mL)); 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro (loosely packed, chopped (about 20-60g depending on herb)); 2 tablespoons fresh dill (minced, plus more for garnish (about 2g)); 2 teaspoons mixed seasoning blend (like Frontier or Mrs. Dash (about 5g)); salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

My husband certainly has a way with his vegetable garden. Each year there's one or another crop that becomes, to put it politely, overabundant. The first year, it was tomatoes.

The phrase, "too many tomatoes" was particularly resonant for me, as my overindulgence triggered an allergy (fortunately, temporary) resulting in itchy hives.

The following year, the culprit was Swiss chard, which sent me down a rabbit hole of leafy-green recipes just trying to keep up with it all.

(If your own garden - or your holiday menu planning - tends toward overabundance too, you might like my Vegan Thanksgiving Cookbook and Vegan Christmas Cookbook, both full of plant-based recipes for holiday entertaining.)

Squashes, tomatoes, and collards from the garden — This is but a fraction of one week's haul from the garden!

Squashes vary in terms of how large a hollow they offer for stuffing, so no worries if you have more of the rice pilaf than what they'll comfortably hold - you can simply use any that remains as a yummy side dish. Use any kind of brown rice, though I highly recommend using an exotic rice blend for more flavor.

Exotic doesn't mean hard to find - you'll find rice blends in the supermarket, as well as natural foods stores. The Royal Blend® with Quinoa used here contains not only light brown rice but red quinoa and freekeh (a form of whole-grain wheat). It's so flavorful in and of itself that I kept the pilaf stuffing simple.

Serves: 4 as a main dish; 8 as a side dish

4 medium delicata squashes (or other semi-hard squashes, such as acorn, golden acorn, very small butternut, or any that have a symmetrical oblong shape)
1¼ cups brown rice or exotic whole-grain rice blend
2½ cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion (or ½ large), finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
½ medium red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ cup dry white wine or water
½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons mixed seasoning blend (like Frontier or Mrs. Dash)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Small squashes are easy to prepare by microwaving. Simply allow 3 to 4 minutes on High per squash, or until it is easily pierced with a sharp knife, but not mushy. You can also use the easy directions for baking in the oven in this post on How to Tame Winter Squashes. You can do this step ahead of time.

Combine the rice and vegetable broth in a large saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. If you prefer a more tender grain, add ½ cup additional broth or water, and cook until absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper and continue to sauté until all are soft and golden. Once the rice is done, add it to the skillet along with the remaining ingredients.

Squashes and rice pilaf filling in a skillet

Stir together and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, or until nicely heated through. When the squashes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half through the stem ends. Remove and discard the seeds and fibers.

Hollow them out, leaving a sturdy shell, about ¼ inch thick. Some squashes have more flesh to remove than others, once the seeds are gone. Whatever squash flesh you have, chop it finely and stir into the rice mixture.

Stuff the cavities in the squashes with the rice mixture generously, without overstuffing. Sprinkle extra minced dill over the tops for garnish.

If both the squashes and rice mixture are still warm, you can serve as is, but if need be, you can arrange in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and warm in a 350º F. oven until piping hot, just before serving. Serve two halves per person as a main dish; or one half per person as a side dish.

Rice-stuffed squashes served with steamed greens

Recipe

Vegan Rice-Stuffed Delicata Squash

4.83 from 18 votes

Delicata squash halves hollowed out and generously filled with a savory brown rice and quinoa pilaf loaded with sautéed onion, garlic, bell pepper, fresh herbs, and dill. A cozy, naturally vegan main dish (or side, if you serve smaller portions).

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 medium delicata squashes or other semi-hard squash, such as acorn, golden acorn, very small butternut, or any with a symmetrical oblong shape
1 ¼ cups brown rice or exotic whole-grain rice blend we like RiceSelect Royal Blend with red quinoa and freekeh (about 238g)
2 ½ cups vegetable stock or water low-sodium (about 600mL)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (about 15mL)
1 medium red onion or ½ large, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic minced
½ medium red bell pepper finely diced
¼ cup dry white wine or water (about 60mL)
½ cup fresh parsley or cilantro loosely packed, chopped (about 20-60g depending on herb)
2 tablespoons fresh dill minced, plus more for garnish (about 2g)
2 teaspoons mixed seasoning blend like Frontier or Mrs. Dash (about 5g)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the squashes: microwave whole squashes for 3 to 4 minutes on High per squash, or until easily pierced with a sharp knife but not mushy. (You can also bake them in the oven - see the linked instructions in the notes below.) This step can be done ahead of time.
Combine the rice and vegetable broth in a large saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the broth is absorbed. If you prefer a more tender grain, add ½ cup additional broth or water and cook until absorbed.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper and continue sautéing until everything is soft and golden.
Once the rice is done, add it to the skillet along with the wine (or water), parsley or cilantro, dill, seasoning blend, and salt and pepper. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, or until nicely heated through.
When the squashes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half through the stem ends. Remove and discard the seeds and fibers, then hollow them out, leaving a sturdy shell about ¼ inch thick. Chop any removed squash flesh finely and stir it into the rice mixture.
Stuff the cavities generously with the rice mixture, without overstuffing. Sprinkle extra minced dill over the tops for garnish.
If both the squash and rice mixture are still warm, serve right away. If not, arrange the stuffed halves in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until piping hot before serving. Serve two halves per person as a main dish, or one half per person as a side dish.

Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)

Calories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 320mgPotassium: 400mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.