Creamy‑sweet acorn squash halves roasted to tender perfection and filled with a savory, umami‑rich blend of mushrooms, chickpeas, and aromatic sage - this is fall on a plate. It's cozy, plant‑powered comfort food that steals the show at weeknight dinners or holiday tables alike.
This recipe was contributed to Oh My Veggies way back in 2014 by Andrea at Dishing up the Dirt. It has since been updated, but is every bit as tasty as it ever was!
If Fall had a signature dish, this would absolutely be it. There's something so soul‑soothing about roasting a winter squash until it's soft enough to swoon over, then piling it high with a fragrant skillet filling that hits every cozy note-earthy mushrooms, hearty chickpeas, a hint of heat from red pepper flakes, and woodsy sage. I don't know about you, but just the aroma makes me want to throw on a sweater and savor every bite.
This recipe has become one of my go‑to ways to show off seasonal squash without fuss. And the best part? You can totally eat the bowl.
This Stuffed Squash Is…
- Perfect for fall menus - Thanksgiving, weeknight dinner, or just a fancy Sunday supper.
- Vegetarian (and vegan!) - hearty enough to satisfy non‑vegans, too.
- Balanced & filling - thanks to plant‑based protein from chickpeas.
- Beautiful to serve - presentation that doesn't try too hard.
Helpful Tips
Make sure you roast the squash cut-side down. I know, it feels counterintuitive - you want to see it roasting, right? But trust me on this. That upside-down roast traps the steam inside the squash halves, making them ridiculously tender and buttery without drying out. Plus, you get that tasty caramelization on the edges.
Thinking about prepping this ahead of time? You totally can. The squash can be roasted and the filling made a day in advance. Just reheat gently before assembling and run it under the broiler to bring it all back to life. Honestly, it might be even better the next day, once everything has had a chance to mingle.
And one last tip, just because I love a crunchy finish - save those squash seeds! Give them a rinse, toss with a little oil and salt, and roast them until golden. They make a stellar topping or snack while you wait for dinner to finish.
More Tasty Ideas
If you love this stuffed acorn squash, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:
- Hoisin Glazed Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Stuffed Acorn Squash Rings
- 12 Vegetarian Ways to Stuff Winter Squash
- Acorn Squash & Caramelized Onion Dip
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash, sliced in half and seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning the filling
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning the filling
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ tablespoons tamari
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage, cut into strips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cut sides of the squash halves and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until fork tender, 35-45 minutes (time will vary depending on the size of your squash).
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, tamari and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the squash from the oven and switch your oven to the broil setting. Divide the chickpea mixture between the squash halves and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place under the broiler until golden, about 2 minutes. Divide the fresh sage onto each squash half and serve.
Millie | Add A Little says
This looks so delicious - perfect for a vegetarian thanksgiving!
Andrea says
Totally great for a veggie friendly Thanksgiving! Enjoy.
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
yum mushroom stuffing is so good. I really enjoy acorn squash with savory stuffing. And this would be great over quinoa as you said!! Thanks for sharing
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
I love acorn squash. And I'm always down for when you get the eat the bowl of your food! This looks delicious and perfect for fall!
Andrea says
cheers to eating the bowl!!!
Rachel Carr says
Definitely vegan Thanksgiving material!
Joanne says
My MIL is growing winter squash in her garden for the first time ever this year and I can't wait to try it! I am going to pass along this stuffing recipe to her the next time she asks me what she should do with it. 🙂
Andrea says
Woohoo! I hope she enjoys the recipe as much as we do!
Gail {A Healthy Hunger} says
Loving the Fall rustic flavors. Gorgeous recipe!
Sarah says
I've only cooked acorn squash once because I'm usually intimated by it but I will definitely have to change that this year. I'm loving the sound of it with the mushroom and sage too! If someone made this for me on Turkey Day, I'd be over the moon with excitement. 🙂
Ashley says
I made this tonight and it was excellent! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Andrea says
I'm so glad you loved this as much as we did!!! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Sweetbay Vegerie says
Love this idea! I swapped out the chickpeas for black beans, Mexican spices, and avocado and it turned out to be a great alternative. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
raluca says
Thank you so much for this delucious recipe! I made it yesterday and even my husband loved it! I did add 2 cloves of garlic and sesamoil . YUMMIEEEEE
Liz says
Oh my gosh. That was DELICIOUS! I used shiitake mushrooms (I'm generally not a mushroom lover) and they were really tasty in this! Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making this again.
Emmelina says
Correction: How can you publish and copyright this if it matches the earlier, copyrighted recipe on Whole Living Lauren? https://www.wholelivinglauren.com/new-blog/2015/10/21/chickpea-mushroom-stuffed-acorn-squash
Nicole says
The recipe here was actually published a full year earlier than that one, in 2014. Perhaps you are confused by the "last updated date"? This is easily confirmed with the Wayback Machine. Regardless, they are different recipes and I don't have an issue with her similar one published at a later time. Thanks.
Lauren says
So much flavor! The spicy an salty filling was balanced by the sweet squash. This was really quick to put together.
Lauren Mitchell says
Love the roast cut-side-down tip — genuinely useful detail (traps steam for tenderness, still gets caramelization) that a lot of stuffed squash recipes skip. Chickpea-mushroom filling sounds hearty enough for non-vegans too, and broiling for a golden top is a nice finishing touch. Bonus points for the roasted squash seeds tip — zero-waste and adds crunch.