Stuffed Delicata Squash with Vegan Mushroom Gravy
This stuffed delicata squash is a winter-forward vegetarian dish that feels special enough for entertaining but simple enough for a weeknight, with tender squash, a savory grain filling, and a vegan mushroom gravy that brings everything together. Delicata squash is easy to work with, naturally sweet, and doesn’t require peeling, which makes it one of my favorite options for a reliable winter squash recipe all season long. Serve it whole as a vegetarian main course or sliced into rounds as a holiday side dish. It’s one of those dishes that looks more involved than it actually is, which is always a win when you’re cooking for friends and family. One stuffed delicata squash comfortably serves one as a vegetarian main or two as a side dish.
Servings: 4 - 6 people
Ingredients
Stuffed Delicata Squash:
- 2 delicata squash washed and one end trimmed, all seeds removed
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup cooked lentils
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs GF are fine
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries optional
- ⅔ cup grated cheese I used cheddar. Vegan cheese works here too.
- ½ cup chopped walnuts pecans and pistachios are great too; use sunflower seeds if you’re nut-free
- 1 teaspoon sea salt + extra for sprinkling on squash
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley for filling + extra for garnish
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil for filling + extra to coat exterior of squash
Vegan Mushroom Gravy:
- 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup minced shallots
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms wiped clean, thinly sliced or chopped (whatever you prefer)*
- 2 cups vegetable stock preferably homemade
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon shoyu tamari, or coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare squash: you can either trim one end of the squash and use a long thin spoon to scoop out the seeds or cut the squash in half (crosswise) if you don’t have a long spoon or are using a larger squash.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Push the filling into the squash tightly. It’s ok if you don’t end up using all of it. You can save it for another use.
- Lightly oil the outside of the squash and season with salt. Transfer squash to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes, until tender. You can test tenderness by poking the squash with a paring knife. If the knife goes in without resistance, it’s done.
- Slice neatly into stuffed rounds and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve with mushroom gravy.
Vegan Mushroom Gravy:
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms have sweat out, about 8 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together the stock, flour, shoyu, and thyme in a medium bowl or large measuring cup until smooth. Set aside. Add the sherry to the shallot and mushroom mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir the stock mixture into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until your sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. I usually add ¾ teaspoon salt if I’m using an unsalted stock.
Notes
- The vegan mushroom gravy recipe makes about 4 cups.
- Feel free to use other mushrooms, such as shiitake or oyster mushrooms for a more interesting flavor.
- You can assemble the squash and fill it up a day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Bake just before serving for a stress-free make-ahead squash recipe that works well for entertaining. The mushroom gravy can also be made in advance and gently reheated on the stovetop.