Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash (Vegan)
This stuffed winter squash is the perfect comfort food for the holidays. Carmelized onions meld with shiitake mushrooms and crumbled tofu for a hearty and warming meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 272kcal
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 skillet I love cast iron
Ingredients
- 2-4 whole winter squash
- 8 oz extra firm tofu (or smoked or braised) see below for smoked/braised rec.
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 12 whole shiitake mushrooms stems removed
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup currants or raisins, cranberries
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper ground to taste
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger root sliced
- 2 tsp dried sage powder or 1 tbsp dried sage leaves
- 1/4 cup pomagranate arils fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp white miso paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Wash the squash and cut them in half lengthwise with a large sharp knife, then scoop out the seeds.
- Peel the ginger root and slice (can leave some in chunks and save for later, but use at least 6 slices for the recipe).
- Prepare a large baking pan with parchment and lay the squash cut side up, then nestle the ginger slices in the open area where the seeds were. If you still have some chunks of ginger left, set them on the parchment in between the squash.
- Drizzle the tops of the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, until the squash can be poked fairly easily with a fork (but don't overcook till mushy, as you will return to the oven once stuffed).
- While the squash is cooking, make the stuffing. Start by heating a pan on medium heat with the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and chopped mushrooms (remove their stems) to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and the onions have developed color and caramelization. I added 1/4 cup of water and covered them for a few minutes to get the softening process going.
- Mix the stuffing ingredients in a bowl: pour the cooked onions and shiitakes into the bowl and crumble the tofu into the bowl. Add the walnuts, chopped, and the currants, making sure to break up the currents if they are stuck to one another. Add the sage powder and miso paste and mix in. Be sure the break up the miso paste so it is evenly distributed throughout.
- Once the squash is ready, remove it from the oven, take the sliced ginger pieces, chop them, and add to the stuffing mix. You can keep any roasted ginger chunks for another use.
- Stuff the squash with the stuffing and return to the oven for about 30 min. The walnuts and tofu will continue to brown and get dark. But since the stuffing is not overly wet, it will not get bubbly, only hot throughout.
- Decorate with the pomegranate arils once removed from the oven. These add a nice tangy crunch as well as color.
Notes
- I used one long squash (similar to a butternut in size) and 2 very small honeynut squashes. You could use 2 butternut or 2-3 acorn.
- The Soy Boy Smoked Tofu link is not an affiliate link, but I wanted you to have access to it as I think it is an amazing product.
Nutrition
Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 173mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg | Magnesium: 65mg