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Stuffed Acorn Squash

Wild rice stuffed acorn squash with chickpeas, pipitas, and pomegranate seeds. Perfect for you holiday entertaining, but easy enough for a weeknight dinner!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy weeknight, gluten free, thanksgiving, vegan
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Squash

  • 3 acorn squash halved and deseeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Stuffing

  • 1 cup wild rice
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 15 oz chickpeas drained
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Brush the insides of squash with olive oil and season with salt.
  3. Arrange cut-side down on the prepared pan. Bake the squash until tender, about 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling, in a medium saucepan over high heat, bring vegetable stock and the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Cover, and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool.
  5. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon oil, onions and salt. Sauté until translucent. Add pepper, thyme, and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 2 minutes.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, rice, onions, pumpkin seeds, vinegar and pomegranate. Spoon the rice mixture into the squash halves (there may be some leftover depending on the size of your squash).
  7. Bake the squash until the stuffing is heated through, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The skin is technically edible, but will be tough, so I don’t recommend eating it. We enjoy this dish by using the skin as a “bowl!”