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This Stuffed Butternut Squash is a show stopping roast centrepiece: a whole roasted squash filled with lentils, mushrooms, chestnuts, pecans and cranberries. It takes about 20 minutes of prep and serves 6. Serve it with all the trimmings, like my Vegan Cauliflower Cheese. For more festive mains and sides, see my 29 Vegan Christmas Recipes.
Stuffed Butternut Squash at a Glance
James's tipMake the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. On the day, roast the squash, stuff it and finish in the oven.
Key ingredients
- Butternut squash
- Lentils and mushrooms
- Chestnuts and pecans
- Cranberries and apricots
Why you'll love it
- About 344 kcal and 9g protein a portion
- A centrepiece that slices neatly
- The filling can be made 2 days ahead
Quick summary
This stuffed butternut squash is roasted whole at 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7), then filled with lentils, mushrooms, chestnuts, pecans, apricots, herbs and a maple and cranberry red onion topping. It serves 6 and is about 344 kcal a portion.
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Why this recipe works
This stuffed butternut squash is packed with flavour and colour, so it grabs attention on a Christmas or Sunday roast table. It is also much simpler to make than it looks.
It works as a vegan Christmas main or a vegetarian roast dinner to share, and meat eaters can have it as a side.
It was inspired by my Easy Lentil Wellington, and it is lovely with my Homemade Cranberry Sauce or Best Mushroom Gravy poured over.
Ingredients to make Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash: One large squash. Roasting caramelises the skin, and you eat it too. Spare squash? Try my Coconut Dhal, Butternut Squash Curry or Butternut Squash Soup.
- Tamari: A gluten free soy sauce for savoury depth. Check the label.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens the red onion and cranberry topping.
- Dried Cranberries: Colour and a sweet sharp bite in the topping.
- Dried Apricots: Blitzed with the nuts for sweetness.
- Pecans: Give the filling a rich, hearty texture.
- Chestnuts: Vacuum packed cooked chestnuts, the classic Christmas flavour.
- Rosemary and Sage: Fresh herbs, finely chopped.
- Mushrooms: I use chestnut mushrooms for a meaty flavour. Spare mushrooms? Try my Vegan Mushroom Risotto.
- Lentils: A can of cooked lentils, drained and rinsed, for protein and body.
- Red Onion, Garlic and Kale: The onion is softened with the maple syrup and cranberries for the topping. Kale or spinach is optional.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Butternut Squash: Pumpkin or a Crown Prince squash works too. Adjust the first roast until the flesh is soft.
- Tamari: Soy sauce works if you do not need it gluten free.
- Maple Syrup: Agave syrup or runny honey (honey is not vegan).
- Dried Cranberries: Chopped dates or extra apricots.
- Apricots: Dates or dried figs.
- Pecans and Chestnuts: Walnuts work in place of either (one reader used walnuts when they had no chestnuts). For a nut free version, use more mushrooms and lentils.
Variations
- Spicy: Add chilli flakes to the mushrooms as they cook.
- Full Roast Dinner: Serve it with my Rosemary Roast Potatoes, Smashed Brussels Sprouts and Roast Parsnips.
- Kid Friendly: Blitz the filling a little finer and leave out the herbs on top.
How to make Stuffed Butternut Squash
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Carefully halve the butternut squash lengthways and roast the halves on a baking tray for 45 minutes, until soft.
Step 2: Meanwhile, pulse the chestnuts, pecans and apricots in a food processor into rough crumbs.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and cook the garlic, mushrooms, rosemary and sage with a pinch of salt and pepper for a couple of minutes. Stir in the lentils, tamari and nut crumbs and cook for 5 minutes. In a small pan, soften the red onion for a couple of minutes, then add the maple syrup and cranberries and cook for 5 minutes more.
Step 4: Scoop out and discard the seeds. Scoop a channel along both halves to make room for the stuffing, and stir the scooped squash into the lentil filling.
Step 5: Pack the filling into the squash, top with the onions and kale and put the other half on top. Tie with string so it holds together, then roast for 15 minutes more until piping hot. Slice thickly and serve with Best Mushroom Gravy.
Hint: The string helps it hold together and slice neatly, but it is not essential.
Leftovers
It is best straight from the oven, but you can make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Cool leftovers quickly, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Reheat slices once in the oven until piping hot. The filling freezes for up to 3 months (defrost it in the fridge before stuffing), but I do not recommend freezing the whole stuffed squash. Leftover slices are lovely with my Roasted Root Vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
Roast the halves first so the flesh softens, scoop out the seeds and a channel along each half, then pack in the filling, put the halves together and tie with string.
Yes. Roasting makes the skin soft and caramelised, and it is one of my favourite parts. Scrub it well before roasting.
Yes. Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. On the day, roast the squash, stuff it and finish in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until piping hot.
Yes. Crown Prince, kabocha or a small pumpkin all work. Roast until the flesh is soft before stuffing, as the time will vary with size.
This stuffed butternut squash is a real show stopper. My other favourite is my Christmas Nut Roast.
All the roast trimmings: roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sprouts and plenty of gravy. My Vegan Dauphinoise Potatoes are a lovely extra for Christmas Day.
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Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 100 g chestnuts, vacuum packed
- 50 g pecans
- 50 g dried apricots
- 150 g mushrooms, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 sage leaves, chopped
- 1 can cooked lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- Handful of kale or spinach, optional
- String to tie the squash for roasting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Carefully slice a large butternut squash down the middle and place on a baking tray. Place in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to a blender add the chestnuts, pecans and apricots, pulse into crumbs.
- To a pan add 2 tbsp oil, crushed garlic, chopped mushrooms, chopped rosemary and sage with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook down for a couple minutes. Now add the drained lentils, Tamari, blended nuts and stir. Cook together for 5 minutes.
- In a separate small pan add a sliced red onion and sweat down for a couple minutes before adding 2 tbsp maple syrup and cranberries and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once the squash is roasted, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Now scoop an even track up from where the seeds were on both halves of the squash to allow space for stuffing. Add the scooped squash into the lentil stuffing and mix.
- Now stuff the squash with all the lentil stuffing, top with the onions and kale and put the lid on. Carefully tie the string round the squash, pulling it tight to help it hold together. Place the squash back in the oven for 15 minutes, until piping hot.
Notes
Nutrition
One of my favourite go to’s any time of the year. Many times I just make the filling, or prepare the squash separately and eat it all together. So many options. Thanks James!
Yay 🙂 thank you Sue!
Would this work just as well with a Crown
Prince Squash and could I make it two days ahead please? Thank you, Ali
Can I make this ahead of time?
can you eat the skin
Hey Cathy, Yes you can 🙂 enjoy!
Made this for our family dinner tonight James in Australia. I used walnuts as no chestnuts. It tasted great. I will do it again for Christmes lunch tomorrow and probably again next year! So easy. Thank you.