Stuffed Delicata Squash + Quinoa, Cranberry & Pistachio
Stuffed Delicata Squash with quinoa, chickpeas, cranberries, and pistachios make for a pretty presentation on any holiday table or simply enjoy anytime during the season for a flavorful and filling meal!
This is the time for winter squashes and all their wonderful flavors!
Healthy and nutritious, stuffed squash is a wonderful addition to the meal rotation and can be paired with a simple green salad on the side.
This recipe can be dressed up or kept simple, depending on your mood or occasion. Keep it to a few ingredients, or add more for complexity.
I’ve made these before with just 6 ingredients (squash, quinoa, cranberries, pistachios, oil, and salt) and it was great, but adding a few other components like protein-rich chickpeas, a bit of thyme and mint gives it more depth and flavor.
I think you’ll love them as much as I do!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious quinoa stuffed squash recipe along with tips and ideas!
- Delicata squash – Delicata squash is so easy to work with and preps and cooks easily. If you want to change it up, acorn squash also works well in this recipe!
- Quinoa – This is my favorite grain. It is technically a seed but can be prepared and eaten like a grain. Quinoa (<Wiki) is a complete protein, full of fiber, and a good source of calcium, magnesium, and iron, making it a great alternative to grains. And it’s gluten-free. Here, I used a blend of pearl and tri-colored quinoa. I like blending the two, so there are just a few specks of the darker quinoa, but one color would be fine.
- Cranberries – These little berries add a slight sweetness. To keep this refined sugar-free, look for organic or unsweetened cranberries.
- Pistachios – Added for crunch, protein, and subtle, unique flavor. Pecans would be nice too!
- Chickpeas – Rich in protein and fiber, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) add heartiness and make each serving well-balanced.
- Shallot – If you don’t have shallot on hand, use 1/2 of a red onion.
- Thyme – I love thyme and it pairs well with all the flavors. If you don’t have it on hand, it’s ok, you can still pull of delicious stuffed squashes.
- Mint – Mint adds a nice layer of flavor but can be optional.
- Pure Maple Syrup – This natural sweetener is used to brush the delicata squash before roasting, keeping this recipe oil-free. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
- Salt & Pepper – Use plenty of salt & pepper for the most flavor!
Let this be a template for you to create a quinoa stuffing to your liking. I encourage you to play around with the ingredients adjusting to your personal tastes!
How To Make Stuffed Delicata Squash
Making stuffed winter squash with quinoa stuffing is straightforward, easy, and ready in under 1 hour.
- Prep delicata squash. Be sure to scrub the squash well since you’ll be eating the whole thing.
- Roast the squash: Delicata squash is super easy to roast, simple place it on a baking sheet and bake for 35 – 40 minutes at 375.
- Make the quinoa stuffing: Quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to rest, so it can be made while the stuffing is in the oven. It comes together easily and only takes one pot. Just be sure to season well with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the stuffed squash: Once the squash is ready, remove any thyme leaves and fill each half with the quinoa stuffing (shown below). Top with mint or parsley and enjoy!
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored for 4 – 5 days in the refrigerator, in a covered container. It makes a great meal prep for using these multi-use containers (affiliate link).
- Freezer: Stuffed squash freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. Use freezer-safe containers (like the ones mentioned above) or baggies to keep it from getting freezer burn. Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: Re-warm stuffed squash in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 – 15, until warmed through. You can also zap them for a few minutes, checking for doneness every 30 seconds.
- Make ahead: You can easily make your stuffed acorn squashes ahead of time and store them covered in the refrigerator. Simply reheat them in the oven or microwave before serving.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Stuffed Acorn Squash + Wild Rice Medley
- Delicata Squash Fries
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- See all winter squash recipes on TSV!
If you try this stuffed delicata squash recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintSTUFFED DELICATA SQUASH + QUINOA, CRANBERRY & PISTACHIO
Flavorful and nutritious, stuffed delicata squash is a healthy way to celebrate the fall season! It’s a colorful centerpiece for the holiday table, too!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Roast, Simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan, American
Ingredients
- 3 delicata squash, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons thyme, fresh or dried
Quinoa Stuffing
- 1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed well
- 1 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup pistachios
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- mineral salt & pepper to taste
- 1 can (15oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
add complexity to the quinoa by adding one or more of the following to suit your taste:
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
Prep and roast the squash: Wash and dry squash. Slice each squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds. The seeds should come out easily by scraping the inside of the squash with a spoon. Lightly brush the inside of each squash with a little oil or maple syrup. Sprinkle with a bit of mineral salt and thyme. Place on baking sheet cut side up. Bake in oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until squash is tender and pierces easily with a fork.
Quinoa Stuffing: In a medium pot, add quinoa and water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid, fluff a fork, and let set 10 minutes. Add pistachios, cranberries, shallots, chickpeas, salt, pepper, and any other optional ingredients. Toss well to combine.
Assemble: Scoop quinoa into squash halves, place back in the oven for 10 minutes to warm if needed, and serve.
Serves 6
Store: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in fridge for up to 4 – 5 days.
Notes
For the quinoa I used a blend of 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup tri-color quinoa. Feel free to use all of one type or mix and match to your preference.
Seek out organic cranberries if possible. Unsweetened is best but can be hard to find. The ones I have here are from Trader Joe’s which are organic but sweetened.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: For roasting the squash I love my Silpat or these parchment liners for lining this rimmed baking sheet (affiliate links).
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Delicious and Beautiful! I used maple syrup and left a little in the bottom of the squash, which added another layer of complexity to this already fabulous dish. Initially I thought a sauce or drizzle would be needed, but it was complete without any additions.
I warmed this up in the airfryer which toasted the top quinoa into puffy crunchy yumm!
This is an absolutely delicious recipe! I sautéed the shallots with some garlic and added the quinoa to this mix with veg broth instead of water, but it turned out perfectly! Can’t wait to make it again. Wish I could post pics… such a beautiful dish too! Thank you!!
The recipe instructions do not indicate how to cook the chickpeas. Are they cooked with the quinoa? Or do you just put them in the stuffing cold?
Sorry for the confusion, Krysten! The chickpeas are used straight from the can (or you can use 1 1/4 cup of fresh cooked). They will be added with the other ingredients once the quinoa is cooked. The warm quinoa will help warm them, along with placing the the stuffed squash in the oven. I’ve updated the recipe to show when to add the chickpeas. I hope helps. Enjoy!
I’d love to make this a day or two before Thanksgiving. Should I bake first and then reheat day of or just bake day of? Thank you.
Great question, Krissy! You could make the quinoa stuffing a day in advance and stuff the squash before baking. For best flavor, I recommend cooking the squash on the day of. You can always do a test run before the holiday to see if making everything a day ahead will work out for your needs. I hope that helps. Enjoy!
This will for sure be on my Thanksgiving table! My mom is vegan, and I'm excited to be cooking something nutritious, delicious and different for her! :)
Just bought dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice from Vitacost! They are SO good, very soft and just the right sweetness. I think they are from Eden Foods.
Oh wow, I love the combination of pistachio and cranberry in something savory! And beautiful pictures, as always! :)
Thank you! :)
Yummy! This is so similar to something I concocted about a month ago it is almost scary! The only differences are that I used finely minced red onion and chopped pan toasted pecans and didn't use lemon juice – will have to try this variation next – love pistachios, just rarely have them on hand ;-)
This is a simple recipe that I'm sure has been concocted by many with some variations. The pecans sound great! I will have to vary this up and try different nuts. I've seen a recipe with hazel nuts that sounds fantastic too!
That is by far the prettiest stuffed winter squash presentation I've ever seen. Must try.
Thank you!
This is perfect! I've been wanting to try a quinoa stuffed squash for a while but wasn't sure exactly how to go about it. Looks scrumptious :)
Well perfect, this recipe is a good template to get you started! :)