Even those of us who have given up the bird welcome a Thanksgiving dish that has been stuffed. This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal. Adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
Butternut Squash With Whole Wheat, Wild Rice, & Onion Stuffing
Author: Nava
Recipe type: Stuffed squash, Thanksgiving main dish
Cuisine: Vegan / Healthy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-small butternut squashes (about 1 pound each)
- ¾ cup raw wild rice, rinsed
- 1 1 /2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ cups firmly packed torn whole wheat bread (use gluten-free bread if you'd like)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- A few sliced fresh sage leaves (or leave whole if small), optional
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon salt-free mixed season blend (such as Frontier or Mrs. Dash), or to taste
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 small orange (about ¼ cup; or omit and just use more vegetable broth)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wrap the whole squashes in foil. Place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until you can pierce through the narrow part with a knife, with a little resistance. You can do this step ahead of time. Let the squashes cool somewhat, then cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and their surrounding fibers.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the wild rice, reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked wild rice with the sautéed onion and the remaining ingredients (whole wheat bread through salt and pepper).
- Scoop out the squash pulp, leaving firm shells about ½ inch thick. Chop or dice the pulp and stir it into the wild rice mixture. Stuff the squashes, place in foil-lined baking dishes, and cover.
- Before serving, place the squashes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or just until well heated through.
Variation: To add drama to this presentation, try this recipe with other squash varieties. Hubbard squash, delicata, sweet dumpling and golden nugget are just a few of the stuffable edible squashes available.
Nutrition information
Per serving: Calories: 189; Total fat: 2g; Protein: 4g; Carbs: 37g; Sodium: 310mg
- Here are lots more winter squash recipes.
- Here are more recipes to enjoy a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving.
- Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.
16 Comments
Martha
April 2, 2012 at 11:51 amI made this for our Thanksgiving Dinner.
Next time I will not bake the stuffing, it was delicious prior to cooking but not as tasty after cooking. This would be a delicious cold salad without the squash or cooking.
Nava
February 10, 2014 at 5:47 pmJennifer and Diane, thanks for your feedback. I will definitely take that into account next time I make this; give it a fresh eye (or palate, as the case may be) before presenting it again next Thanksgiving.
Christine
October 11, 2014 at 8:42 amLove the presentation. Am attempting a Vegan Thanksgiving this year, wish me luck!
I’m not crazy about the texture of wild rice, so I’m going to try this with quinoa and add chopped roasted walnuts.
I might replace the OJ with another liquid as the soup I’m planning will be on the sweet side also.
Nava
October 11, 2014 at 10:18 amHI Christine, I recently retested, and your comment reminded me that I needed to amend the recipe. A couple of readers found the OJ flavor too pronounced, so I dialed it way back to 1/4 cup, and for the remaining liquid substituted vegetable broth. I think that should be to everyone’s liking! And I think doing this with quinoa is a very good idea. I hope you enjoy it.
jessica
October 13, 2014 at 3:24 pmHi there, this sounds like a fantastic recipe. But I am confused, in the ingredients you mention bread and vegetable broth, but there are not used in the directions at all.
Nava
October 13, 2014 at 3:35 pmHi Jessica, the bread and broth are in the category of “remaining ingredients” mentioned in paragraph five of instructions. So I added a little clarification in case other readers also found this vague. I hope you like this, if you try it!
Katherine
October 24, 2014 at 4:50 pmQuick question,
it lists 1/2 dried thyme. Should this be 1/2 ts. or TB? Thanks! Beautiful recipe.
Nava
October 24, 2014 at 6:27 pmThanks for the eagle eye. It’s supposed to be 1/2 tsp, and that has been amended!
3 Meatless Entrees for a Delicious Vegetarian Thanksgiving | Care2 Healthy Living
November 13, 2014 at 4:03 pm[…] Thanksgiving alternative. I prefer the taste of butternut squash, so when I saw this recipe on VegKitchen.com, it caught my attention right […]
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Feast for Vegetarians
November 17, 2014 at 10:04 am[…] Stuffed Butternut Squash (vegan) […]
Ken Robertson
January 4, 2015 at 8:21 pmLoved it but did not put the orange juice in. Will try next time with the juice. A very yummy dish indeed, thanks.
Tina
November 25, 2015 at 4:10 pmDo you think you could make this dish the night before and heat it through on Thanksgiving day?
Nava
November 25, 2015 at 4:13 pmTina, you can definitely make this the night before. Maybe stop a little short of the recommended baking time. Then heat through as needed just before serving.
David A.
November 28, 2017 at 5:44 pmI had this at a friends home for Thanksgiving,and I happen to Love squash. This
dish blew my mind it was so tasty and moist. I absolutely Loved It. Dave
Nava
November 28, 2017 at 5:47 pmThank you, Dave! So glad you enjoyed it.
Exotic Fruits
July 15, 2019 at 5:53 am“What is your favorite recipe for butternut squash? I flavored mine with butter and maple syrup tonight.”
This might sound a bit odd at first, but it totally works. Substitute butternut squash for the fresh tomatoes in your favorite tomato sauce recipe and use it on pasta just like you’d use a red sauce.