This show-stopping, fall-inspired meal is so flavorful and delicious, I can’t wait for you to try it! Roasted acorn squash halves are stuffed with wild rice, caramelized onions, toasted nuts, and all the warm spices of the season. It’s perfect as a festive vegan main dish or an elegant side.

I’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of fall just so I could share this vegan acorn stuffed squash recipe with you! It has a few steps but each one isn’t complicated. You can roast your squash and cook the rice in advance and then re-heat them day of, which makes it great for the holidays. I love the delicious combination of flavors from the sweet, caramelized onions with the hearty wild rice and toasted nuts, all cradled in an edible bowl of roasted squash. This colorful centerpiece is definitely a holiday-worthy-main dish!

Let’s talk about those beautiful ingredients!

Acorn squash: When choosing acorn squash, you’ll know it’s ripe when the exterior is dark green in color. The orange spots you see, are where the squash was resting on the ground and hidden from the sun. Acorn squash that is orange all over is over-ripe. Once roasted, the bright orange flesh becomes soft and slightly nutty-tasting.

Are the skins edible? Yes! If roasted until tender, the skin of acorn squash is absolutely delicious and filled with nutrients. You’ll know it’s ready to eat after the first bite. If the skin is tough, just eat the soft flesh. If the skin is tender, you can eat it along with the flesh and stuffing.

Slicing Acorn Squash Vertically From Top to Bottom

Tips on slicing and roasting acorn squash: There are two ways to slice your squash in half. You can cut vertically from top to bottom leaving 2 acorn-shaped halves, or, cut it horizontally right through the middle, creating 2 round bowls with fluted edges. If slicing horizontally through the belly of the squash, you’ll need to trim off the pointy bottom so it will sit flat on a baking tray or plate.

Scoop out the seeds and save them to roast later. There is more solid flesh in the top half of the squash which makes less room for stuffing in that half, so I prefer the “top to bottom” slicing method which creates two equal-sized bowls that can be filled with a nice stuffing to squash ratio.

Rub the inside of the squash with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt and place, face side down, on a baking tray. Roast at 425 F / 218 C / Gas mark 7 for 45 minutes. The flesh will be fork-tender, the skin will be soft and shiny, and the rim toasty and slightly caramelized.

Caramelized Onions: The stuffing is the hero of our story. It’s definitely worth the time to caramelize the onions. This will take about 15 minutes, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. The sweet, sticky onions, tossed with wild rice, toasted chopped nuts, and warm spices creates a rich depth of flavor that is utterly satisfying.

Toasted Nuts: Vacuum packed chestnuts come already roasted and peeled in a handy bag. They are soft and easy to chop. Chestnuts along with roasted almonds (see note on roasting) add texture and healthy fats.

This recipe is:

Festive
Savory-sweet
Beautiful as a main dish
Vegan, gluten-free

Once you give this recipe a try, I know it will become a fall favorite. You can also use the stuffing in other winter squash like butternut. This colorful centerpiece will be on my holiday table, and I hope it finds its way to your table too!

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:

Ingredients for Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

3 medium acorn squash (about 1½ lbs. / 680 grams each)
Olive oil for rubbing the insides of the squash
2 cups of cooked wild rice (1 cup cooked in 2 cups of water with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt)
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced (using the 1 mm setting on a mandolin)
2 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided
¼ cup (45 grams) of coconut sugar
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
5.29 oz (150 grams) of whole roasted and peeled vacuum-packed chestnuts (1 package) chopped
1 cup (150 grams / 5.29 oz.) of roasted almonds, chopped (see note on roasting)
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage, (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg

Makes 5 cups of stuffing to generously fill 6 acorns squash halves.

How to Make Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash

For the Squash and the Rice

Steps 1-2:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F / 218 C gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Soften the squash by putting them in the microwave, one at a time for 2 minutes. Lay the squash on its side and, with a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice it in half, vertically, through the top and pointy bottom, creating 6 equal-sized “bowls”.

Steps 3-5:

3. Scoop the seeds from each half and save them for roasting at a later date. Rub the insides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place, equally spaced, face-side down, on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, until the flesh, is very tender, and the skins are shiny and soft.
4. While the squash is cooking, make the wild rice. Rinse 1 cup of wild rice under cold running water and then add it to a medium cooking pot with 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until all of the water is absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. This will take from 30-45 minutes. Set aside. You can also make the rice in a rice cooker or an Instant Pot (with a 1 cup rice to 1½ cup water ratio, under pressure, for 25 minutes).

For the Stuffing

Steps 1-4:

1. Using a mandolin on the 1 mm setting or a sharp knife, slice the onions in half and then slice them into thin strips. (taking care not to slice your fingers!)
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the coconut sugar and balsamic vinegar. Stir until dissolved. Tumble in the onions and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are wilted, sticky, and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat and turn it down to medium-low if the onions begin to dry out or burn.

Steps 3-4:

3. While the onions are cooking, chop the chestnuts and roasted almonds. See note on how to roast almonds below.
4. Scoop 2 cups of the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl. (You may have some rice leftover.) Add the caramelized onions and chopped nuts. Stir until well combined. Now add in the sage and all the spices, including the other 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix again so the spices are evenly distributed.

Step 5:

5. Scoop a heaping ½ cup of stuffing into each squash half. Use the remaining stuffing to round out the tops. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve as a festive vegan main dish or an elegant side!

Note on Roasting Almonds: Spread 4 cups of unsalted almonds, in a single layer, on a baking tray and roast at 425 F (218 C) for 12 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the middle of the almond is a lovely light brown color, and you can smell that wonderful roasted aroma.