Stuffed Butternut Squash

stuffed butternut squash on a white plate, sliced open

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5 from 4 votes

An easy to make stuffed butternut squash, perfect for a vegan or vegetarian christmas main or Sunday roast.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Christmas, Dinner

Cuisine: British

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: James Wythe

Cost: £8

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

Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Carefully slice a large butternut squash down the middle and place on a baking tray. Place in the oven for 45 minutes at 200C.
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 at 200C.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

Substitutions & Variations: I have included a list of these in the post above.

To Store: This Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe is best served right out the oven but you could prepare it in advance and roast it at the time when needed. You could also slice any leftovers to have the next day. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing this recipe.

Tip 1: Using a sharp knife is crucial when cutting the butternut squash down the middle safely.

Tip 2: I would recommend using string to hold the stuffed squash together whilst it bakes but it's not essential.

Tip 3: If you aren’t a fan of butternut squash, try this recipe with pumpkin instead.

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