Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts

This Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts makes a delicious vegetarian main dish perfect to enjoy in the festive season.  Full of fruit, spice and zest, this is a no fuss dish that’s gluten free as well as super nutritious!

This Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts is filled with delicious festive flavours!  There is nutmeg and ginger, sweet cranberries, crunchy chestnuts and fragrant rosemary.  It’s easy to make, looks gorgeous and tastes really delicious!

How to roast butternut squash

The first step in this recipe is roasting the butternut squash.  Cut it in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with ground ginger, nutmeg and season.  Then brush with a little olive oil and bake in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes.  It is ready when it starts caramelizing around the edges and is tender (check with a fork).

The quinoa fruit filling

Start making the filling whilst the butternut squash is roasting.  That way when the squash comes out of the oven you’ll be able to stuff it straight away.

Make the quinoa ahead

To save time you can make the quinoa ahead and once cooled, refrigerate it, covered, for up to 3 days.  This method has worked for me lots of times in the past.  I’ve used it in this spinach stuffed chicken breast with quinoa, spicy quinoa stuffed eggplant and many others.

If you prefer to cook and use the quinoa straight away it’s absolutely fine to add it into the filling while still hot.

How to make the quick and easy filling

Fry the shallots with garlic in a little oil until soft.  Then add the cranberries, chestnuts, apple, rosemary and clementine juice, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the cooked quinoa, parmesan, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley and season to taste.  Stir thoroughly.

You are now ready to place the mixture over your squash.  Scatter the pine nuts, drizzle with a little oil and pop back in the oven for about 12 minutes.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with lemon zest, scatter more fresh parsley over the top and enjoy!

How to adapt this stuffed butternut squash recipe

You can easily adjust the ingredients in this stuffed butternut squash recipe to suit your individual preference.  For example, you can sprinkle the squash with ground cloves and/or allspice in addition to the ginger and nutmeg.

You could swap the rosemary for thyme or 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped sage.

You could also use a hard cheese of your choice, not necessarily vegetarian-friendly Parmesan.

Can this recipe be veganised?

Yes, it can be, very easily.  The only dairy product in this stuffed butternut squash recipe is the parmesan so all you have to do is swap it for the vegan variety.  Vegan parmesan cheese is now widely available so you won’t have trouble finding it.

More easy recipes for your vegetarian festive spread

If you are looking for more dishes that are high in protein try my quick vegetarian Christmas stuffing.  It’s made using vegetarian sausage, fruit, herbs and chestnuts for a bit of crunchy texture.   It’s delicious served with either this classic low sugar cranberry sauce, or a more unusual cranberry sauce with beetroot.

Your hot veg dishes might include roasted brussel sprouts with cranberries and chestnuts recipe or easy honey roasted carrots with miso. Why not also try this classic braised red cabbage with a twist!

And for a ‘sweet’ finish try my non-traditional Dairy Free Easy Fruit Cake and these gorgeous, slightly boozy Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles with Chestnuts.

Check out also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts

This Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts makes a delicious vegetarian main dish perfect to enjoy in the festive season.  Full of fruit, spice and zest, this is no fuss dish that’s gluten free as well as super nutritious!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: International

Keyword: butternut squash, quinoa

Servings: 4 people

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 small or 1/2 large sour apple, cored, peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup ready roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetarian-friendly parmesan, or another hard cheese, finely grated
• juice of 1 clementine
• 3-4 tbsp pine nuts
• olive oil for frying and drizzling
• fine sea salt and pepper to taste, plus ground ginger and nutmeg to sprinkle over the squash
• zest of 1 small lemon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5. Cut the butternut squash in half lenthways, remove the seeds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (open side up). Season, sprinkle with ground ginger and nutmeg and brush with oil (about 1 tablespoon). Roast for about 50 minutes until tender and caramelized around the edges. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on).
• Whilst the squash is roasting prepare the stuffing mixture. Fry the shallots and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil until soft. Add the cranberries, chestnuts, rosemary, apple and clementine juice, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  
• Remove from the heat, add the quinoa, parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the parsley, season to taste stir and place the mixture over the squash. Scatter the pine nuts, drizzle with a little oil and bake for 12 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.

Notes

To save time cook the quinoa ahead and once cooled, refrigerate (for up to 3 days).  See the post for ideas on how to make easy swaps to suit your preference.

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RECIPE LINK PARTIES

I am bringing my Quinoa Stuffed Butternut Squash with Fruit & Chestnuts to Fiesta Friday.  This week’s co-hosts are Antonia @ Zoale.com and Kat @ Kat’s 9 Lives  Also linking it up with #CookBlogShare, which I have the pleasure of hosting this week.