This vegan wild rice stuffed squash is healthy yet comforting, making it an excellent option for a hearty winter dinner. Made with wholesome ingredients like butternut squash and wild rice, It’s gluten-free and won’t weigh you down, but it’s incredibly flavorful and will please vegans and non-vegans alike.
Ingredients
- 4 medium butternut squash OR 4 medium acorn squash
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1.5 cups (355ml) vegetable broth for Instant Pot method, OR 3 cups (710ml) vegetable broth for stovetop method
- 1 tbsp olive oil + more for roasting squash
- 4 shallots, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (~270g) Tuscan/Lacinato kale, shredded
- 1/2 cup (~70g) toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (~15g) parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup (~10g) basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (~30g) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (~80g) pomegranate seeds
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (~64g) good-quality tahini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (or 218°C).
- Roast the squash: Slice each butternut squash or acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and gunk with a spoon. Place each squash half, cut side up, on a baking sheet and rub each with a bit of olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Roast acorn squash halves for 45 minutes and butternut squash halves for 50-55 minutes or until the flesh is fork tender and lightly browned.
- Rinse the wild rice well.
- Wild Rice, Instant Pot Method: Add the wild rice and 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and select the Pressure Cook/Manual setting for 25 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release and drain off any remaining liquid.
- Wild Rice, Stovetop Method: Place the wild rice and 3 cups of vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and cover. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the kernels have burst open. Drain off any remaining liquid.
- Make the wild rice salad: Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Once hot, add the shallots and cook until they are starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden.
- Add the shredded kale and season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring for 1-2 minutes or until the kale is starting to soften.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the cooked and drained wild rice, along with the pine nuts, chopped parsley, chopped basil, dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Toss well to combine and incorporate the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stuff each squash cavity with the wild rice salad. Drizzle each half with tahini. Serve with additional chopped parsley on top, if desired.
NOTE: you can also scoop out flesh from the roasted butternut squash to create a more hollowed out boat. That way, you can add more of the wild rice filling into each boat.