A colorful vegetarian quinoa stuffed acorn squash recipe (vegan option included) with quinoa, blue cheese and toasted walnuts! The filling comes together quickly while the acorn squash bakes. The final touch is a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to complement the nutty flavors.
It's fall and acorn squash is in season and this quinoa stuffed acorn squash is on repeat every season! I just love making cozy comfort foods like quinoa stuffed acorn squash, apple cider, pumpkin pies, fried brussels sprouts, pumpkin hummus, and pumpkin soup.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes to roast, plus 20 minutes stuffed, at 400 degrees F
- ⏳ Total Time: under 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 squash halves
- ⚡ Calories: 474kcal per serving, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: acorn squash, quinoa, walnuts, blue cheese (or feta, goat or vegan feta), spinach, onion, thyme, lemon juice, avocado oil and honey or maple syrup
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Nutty and savory with a sweet caramelized honey top
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, the filling cooks while the squash bakes
Quick Answer
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 2 acorn squash in oil, cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until fork tender. Meanwhile cook ¾ cup quinoa in 1 ½ cups water, toast ½ cup walnuts and whisk the oil with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir the dressing, onion, spinach, blue cheese, thyme and walnuts into the quinoa. Halve and seed the squash, drizzle each half with honey, stuff with the filling, drizzle more honey on top and bake 20 minutes to caramelize.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe Works
- Why You'll Love This Stuffed Squash
- What Goes Into Stuffed Squash
- Why Fall Is Our Favorite Season
- How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Expert Tips
- More Stuffed Vegetables and Fall Recipes
- Stuffed Acorn Squash FAQs
- More Fall Dinners
- Stuffed Acorn Squash (Vegan Option) with Quinoa, Blue Cheese, and Toasted Walnuts
Really anything using delicious seasonal flavors, produce and spices which means acorn squash! If you are not used to this tasty squash it is beautiful roasted and has a delicious nutty flavor and is less sweet than butternut squash.
Why This Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe Works
Click to see why it works
- Roasting first gets the squash tender before it is stuffed.
- The filling comes together while the squash bakes, so dinner is ready in about an hour.
- Honey under and over the filling caramelizes in the final 20 minutes.
- Toasted walnuts add crunch against the fluffy quinoa.
- Easier to cut after cooking. You can halve the squash first, but it is easier to cut after it is roasted.
Why You'll Love This Stuffed Squash
- This well-balanced easy dinner contains plant-based protein, fiber, iron, and amino acids!
- A dinner that comes together quickly! This dish is ready in less than 1 hour of hands-on cooking, and the time can be cut in half if you roast the acorn squash in advance.
- Vegetarian with a vegan option! This recipe contains no meat and is perfect for meatless Mondays.
- Easy to customize with chopped mushrooms, dried cranberries and other favorite fall veggies.
- A holiday-worthy vegetarian main for Thanksgiving.
What Goes Into Stuffed Squash
The base is acorn squash and the filling is a blend of quinoa, blue cheese, toasted walnuts, green or white onion, spinach and thyme. Use either honey or maple syrup for the sweet drizzle that complements all the flavor combinations. The dressing is a blend of avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil), lemon juice and salt and pepper. P.S. I forgot to add the salt and pepper in the picture!
See recipe card for quantities.
Why Fall Is Our Favorite Season
My husband and I both agree that fall is our favorite time of year as it feels calm. Sounds of rustling leaves and a fresh breeze passing through the air gives this season its peaceful presence. And after a busy summer, I am ready for the calm.
This recipe is packed with fiber, potassium, vitamins and minerals from acorn squash [source] and protein from crunchy walnuts and fluffy quinoa. More quinoa in the pantry? Cook a big batch and also make a roasted vegetable quinoa salad and Mediterranean quinoa salad for later in the week! If you have extra blue cheese, you can also make iron skillet brussels sprouts with fig and blue cheese crumble.
This recipe was first published in 2013 and has been updated.
How to Make Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
1Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the acorn squash to remove any dirt, then coat each one with olive oil, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
2Cook the quinoa. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa with the water according to directions and fluff it with a fork.
3Toast the walnuts. Place the nuts in a frying pan on the stove top and toast for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
4Make the dressing. In another bowl mix the oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
5Mix the filling. Add the dressing, onion, spinach, cheese, thyme and toasted nuts to the cooked quinoa and mix together. Cover the pot to keep it warm until the acorn squash is ready to be filled.
6Halve and drizzle. When the acorn squash is finished baking, let it cool, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle each half with ½ tablespoon of honey.
7Stuff and bake. Stuff each half with the filling and drizzle another ½ tablespoon of honey on top to caramelize. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and slightly caramelized on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Roast ahead. To make this meal quicker, roast the acorn squash in advance up to 2 days before using. If it is chilled, it may need to bake longer than 20 minutes once filled. A good gauge is when the honey topping is caramelized and the squash is warmed through.
- Make it vegan with vegan feta in place of the blue cheese and maple syrup in place of the honey, in equal amounts.
- Swap the cheese for feta or goat cheese.
- Pick a good squash. It should feel hard and heavy. Squishy, soft or bruised spots are a sign it has spoiled.
- Add-ins like chopped mushrooms and dried cranberries work well.
More Stuffed Vegetables and Fall Recipes
Related recipes: Stuffed Squash with Quinoa, Cranberries and Goat Cheese, Healthy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers, Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Peppers, Mexican Baked Spaghetti Squash and Skinny Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad.
Thanksgiving sides to serve with it: Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Pesto Cauliflower and all of my healthy Thanksgiving side dishes.
Stuffed Acorn Squash FAQs
Acorn squash has a slightly nutty flavor and pairs well with quinoa, rich cheese such as feta, goat, or blue cheese, garlic, honey, maple syrup, and cranberries.
Yes. A ripe acorn squash should be hard and heavy. Squishy, soft and bruised areas are usually a sign it has spoiled.
Yes! The skin of acorn squash is tender when cooked and can be sliced and eaten with the filling.
Visible mold, a moldy smell, soft spots or a squash that feels light in weight are signs it has spoiled or dried out.
Use vegan feta cheese in place of blue cheese and maple syrup in place of honey in equal quantities.
Yes. Roast it up to 2 days in advance. Chilled squash may need a little longer than 20 minutes once it is stuffed.
More Fall Dinners
Try Stuffed Squash with Cranberries, Pumpkin Soup or Mexican Stuffed Peppers next. I hope you enjoy this quinoa stuffed acorn squash recipe! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Stuffed Acorn Squash (Vegan Option) with Quinoa, Blue Cheese, and Toasted Walnuts
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil + plus extra to coat the acorn squash
- 2 acorn squash 1-¼ to 1-½ lb. each
- 1.5 cups water
- ¾ cup quinoa red or white
- 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup for vegan
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup white onion or green onion
- ⅓ cup blue cheese or use feta, goat cheese or vegan feta
- 1 cup spinach chopped finely then measured
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cover the acorn squash in olive oil. Place in a baking dish or pan, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa with water according to directions. While the quinoa cooks, place nuts in a frying pan on stove top and toast for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- In another bowl mix olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
- When quinoa is finished add your lemon dressing, onion, spinach, cheese, thyme and toasted nuts. Cover the quinoa mixture to keep it warm if the squash needs more time to finish baking.
- When squash is finished baking, let cool. Cut in half and scoop out seeds. Drizzle each half with ½ tablespoon of honey. Stuff each half with the quinoa mixture. Drizzle remaining ½ tablespoon of honey each over each acorn. Bake for 20 minutes to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Jennifer says
Oh my goodness, it's delicious! I used walnuts and goat cheese, and added a small jar of pimentos (for that sweet red pepper flavor). I am going lower-carb, so I drizzled maple syrup on the top only to carmelize. It was absolutely amazing and my vegetarian son loved it too! Thank you for the wonderful idea.
Kari says
Do I mix in the frozen spinach or microwave it first?
Danielle | Delightful Mom Food says
Just mix it right in unless it is a solid lump. If it is too thick and solid to mix, heat it or let it thaw until it is manageable and will mix into the quinoa ingredients. It will heat up quickly with the warm quinoa and and when it is stuffed into the squash before baking more.
Anonymous says
How many calories does this have?
Anonymous says
I made this today and really enjoyed it. I could - and did - eat the stuffing all on its own. I used walnuts and goat cheese from the options above. The only thing I did differently from the recipe was halving and seeding the squash before roasting; I knew I wasn't going to be patient enough to let the squash cool so I could cut and seed it. Everything turned out great!
admin says
So glad you left a comment about what you did and how much you enjoyed it! Thank you. I ate the stuffing by itself too... its addicting!
Nicole says
What are the two cups of water for?
admin says
For cooking the quinoa. Then add other ingredients once quinoa is cooked.
Anonymous says
Am thinking about trying this - has anyone else tried it that would like to comment?
Macarena Martínez says
This looks delicious! I'm trying it! 🙂