Serve these petite stuffed honeynut squash for a filling and comforting vegetarian dinner. A perfect cozy meal for the fall and winter months.
We love the natural sweetness and creamy texture of honeynut squash. It makes a great vessel for a hearty and earthy filling of wild rice, quinoa, and lentils. If you're looking for a basic roasted version, see our Roasted Honeynut Squash recipe or the sweeter Maple and Brown Sugar Honeynut Squash Slices.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The smaller size of this winter squash makes it a perfect, beautifully presented single-serve stuffed squash that would look impressive on your dinner table. The stuffing is a satisfying combination of wild rice, protein-rich lentils, and heart-healthy quinoa. Onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and mushrooms add deep flavor and earthiness to the dish. Pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, and pomegranate vinaigrette add crunch, a touch of tartness, and a hint of sweetness.
Stuffed Honeynut Squash Ingredients
Ingredients
- Wild Rice.
- Quinoa.
- Pardina or French Green Lentils.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Salt.
- Onion.
- Garlic Cloves.
- Thyme.
- Rosemary.
- Black Pepper.
- Cremini Mushrooms.
- Pomegranate Seeds.
- Homemade Candied Pecans.
- Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
How to Make Stuffed Honeynut Squash
- Step 1: Using a sharp knife, cut the stems off the squash, slice them in half vertically, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cook the wild rice, quinoa, and lentils.
- Step 2: Drizzle the cut side with olive oil and place face down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Step 3: Bake in the oven until golden brown and fork-tender.
- Step 4: Sauté the onions, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and spices.
- Step 5: In a large bowl, stir together the sauteed veggies with the cooked rice, quinoa, and lentils.
- Step 6: Stuff the squash with the filling, top with pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, and pomegranate vinaigrette.
Recipe Tips
- When purchasing winter squash, look for skin that is smooth and deep orange. Avoid any squash with green on the skin, as this is a sign it is underripe.
- Honeynut squash varies in size, and a single squash will make only enough for 1-2 people. Make sure to pick several of similar size so they cook evenly.
- Squash is finished roasting when the flesh is caramelized and soft. You can check by poking with a fork to check for tenderness.
- Wild rice, lentils, and quinoa can all be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge in airtight containers until ready to use.
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Stuffed Honeynut Squash with Quino and Wild Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Serve these petite stuffed honeynut squash for a filling and comforting vegetarian dinner. These perfectly cozy stuffed honeynut squash halves are pretty enough to serve at a holiday meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 Honeynut Squash (see note 1)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
For the Filling
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (any type)
- 1 cup Pardina lentils or French green lentils, picked and rinsed - See note 1
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dry thyme
- ½ tsp dry rosemary
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 lb white or cremini mushrooms, chopped small
- ¼-⅓ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 3 tbsp homemade candied pecans or store-bought candied pecans or roasted pumpkin seeds
- Pomegranate vinaigrette
Instructions
TO ROAST THE HONEYNUT SQUASH
- Preheat oven to 400ºF - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Cut the stem off the Honeynut Squash, cut it in half vertically, and scoop out the seeds.
- In a small bowl, mix olive oil with salt and pepper and brush it on the cut side.
- Bake cut side down for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Squash will be done when the skin is soft and gives in when touched. Make sure you check both ends of the squash. The hollow side will cook faster than the stem side.
TO COOK THE WILD RICE:
- In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil.
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh colander.
- Add the wild rice and boil, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Wild rice should be tender but still have a bite. Some of the wild rice grains will split open.
- Remove the rice from the heat, drain it, and add it to the bowl with the quinoa and lentils.
TO COOK THE QUINOA:
- In a medium saucepan, heat one teaspoon of olive oil. Add quinoa and ½ teaspoon of the salt, sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, so the quinoa is coated with the oil.
- Add 1 ⅓ cups of water. Bring water to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, but not mushy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Fluff it up with a fork.
TO COOK THE LENTILS
- In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil.
- Pick any debris or small rocks from the lentils, and rinse them in a fine-mesh colander.
- Add lentils to the boiling water and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Lentils should be tender, but not mushy.
- Remove rice from heat, drain, and transfer to a large bowl with the wild rice and the quinoa.
TO COOK THE MUSHROOMS
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion, garlic, between½ to¾ teaspoon salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper, mix well, and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and all their released water has evaporated.
- Taste the mushroom mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
- While everything cooks, make the pomegranate vinaigrette, the candied pecans, if making them at home, and remove the seeds of a pomegranate.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked mushrooms, quinoa, wild rice, lentils, and pomegranate vinaigrette. Do this while the rice and quinoa are still warm. Mix it gently, ensuring the vinaigrette coats the rice and quinoa evenly.
- Top each roasted honeynut squash with the rice, quinoa, and lentil mixture. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans.
- Before serving, candied pecans and pomegranates
Notes
- Alternatively, you can use canned lentils, skip the cooking process, and add them to the wild rice and quinoa mixture.
- Honeynut squash varies in size; larger ones will take longer to roast
- All the components of this dish can be cooked 1-2 days ahead and stored separately in the fridge in airtight containers until ready to use. When ready to serve, heat the components, assemble everything, and garnish.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop and oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ honeynut squash
- Calories: 371
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 447.8 mg
- Fat: 9.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61.6 g
- Fiber: 8.7 g
- Protein: 14.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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