As a kid, you probably couldn’t pay me enough money to eat squash. It’s one of those foods that all kids say they don’t like, even though most of the time they have never even tried it. Now that I’ve actually tried a ton of different types of squash, I can officially and honestly say that I truly love ALL of the ones I have tried: zucchini, yellow squash, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, delica squash, and acorn squash. It’s possible that I’ve had other types as well, but these are the ones I make on a regular basis. One of the best parts about cooking/eating squash is that they lend themselves to stuffing. Stuffed squash makes an absolutely wonderful vegetarian/vegan or even gluten free main dish. I have already posted a few stuffed zucchini recipes for the spring/summer, but I have yet to post a stuffed winter squash recipe. Here is one of my favorites! Don’t let the total time of almost an hour scare you away- a large majority of that time is not active, meaning you just throw the squash in the oven and let it roast for about 40 minutes until you start making the filling. During that 40 minutes feel free to leave your kitchen to do whatever your heart desires—laundry, walk your dog, online shop, catch up on Making a Murderer (WAIT- I’m obsessed.) – anything you want. This main dish veggie recipe is very satisfying because the squash is stuffed with protein-rich garbanzo beans, meaty mushrooms, and fresh sage. Lots of winter flavors packed into one dish! The squash itself is so creamy and sweet when roasted to perfection! Give this recipe a try- you won’t be disappointed!
NOTE: This recipe can be easily doubled to feed 4 people.
Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients: 1 medium acorn squash, sliced in half and seeds removed 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided ¼ teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning the filling 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning the filling ½ large yellow onion, diced 1½ cups mushrooms, roughly chopped 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas or about ½ of 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari (**for gluten free, make sure you choose a gluten free tamari) ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1½ tablespoons fresh sage, cut into strips
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle half a tablespoon of olive oil over the cut sides of the acorn squash halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking dish covered with nonstick foil. Bake until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized nonstick pan. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the chickpeas, tamari, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the squash from the oven and switch your oven to the broil setting. Divide the chickpea mixture between the squash halves and broil for about 2 minutes, or until golden. Top with sage leaves and serve.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 454 Fat: 12g Carbs: 75g Protein: 19g Sodium: 497mg Sugar: 11g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
Source: Oh My Veggies: Stuffed Acorn Squash with Mushrooms and Chickpeas
