This savory wild rice pilaf stuffed squash is the perfect blend of flavors and textures. Made with honeynut squash, wild rice, veggies, sprouted almonds and cranberries, this plant-based recipe is perfect for the holidays. It’s oil-free, vegan and wfpb suitable.
This super simple, stuffed squash is such a tasty dinner recipe. It is the perfect combination of flavors and texture that just work so well together. From the sweet cranberries to the crunchy almonds and sautéed veggies, it is sure to be a hit.
It’s a great savory dish that works well for the holiday season. I personally love having this as part of my Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, especially with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.
Plus, this recipe is plant-based/vegan, oil-free and gluten-free!
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What’s in Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Squash?
For the squash, I used honeynut squash. It’s a smaller squash that resembles a sweeter butternut squash. However, you could definitely make the wild rice pilaf and use as stuffing for a different type of squash like acorn squash or butternut squash. You can use the same recipe, but if they are larger squash, you may have to roast them longer to get them soft.
The wild rice pilaf is a blend of rice, vegetables, cranberries and almonds seasoned with flavors like thyme and garlic. It is a delicious combination, though you could definitely easily change it up to your liking.
I used Daily Crunch Snacks sprouted almonds in the wild rice pilaf. I absolutely love the unique crunch these almonds give to the pilaf. Not only that, but they are also dehydrated which helps to retain the nutrients that are lost when roasting. They have several other delicious flavors that I have used to make homemade chocolate bars and turmeric almond crusted cauliflower.
If you are not a fan of cranberries, you can simply swap for raisins. You could also add in more veggies like celery or bell peppers.
If you like this stuffed squash recipe, try these other great plant-based recipes!
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Refined Sugar-Free Cranberry Sauce
- Oil-Free Maple Roasted Veggies
- ‘Cheesy’ Broccoli Rice Casserole
If you try this plant-based Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Squash, or any other Pure and Plant-Based recipes, make sure to to use #pureandplantbased and tag us @pureandplantbased on Instagram or Facebook!
Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffed Squash
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice
- 4 honeynut squash
- 1/2 cup Daily Crunch sprouted almonds
- 1 carrot
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place your rice into a fine mesh strainer. Run the rice under running water and rinse thoroughly.
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Add rice to a saucepan and cover with water. Over medium heat, bring rice to a boil and then cook for about 40 minutes or until rice has desired texture. Once the rice is finished, add to strainer and rinse thoroughly.
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While the rice is cooking, vertically cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place onto the baking sheet cut side down and roast for about 20 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is soft.
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Next, chop carrot, garlic cloves and onion. Add to a frying pan over medium heat and saute until they are soft and onions are golden, then remove from heat.
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Once the squash is finished cooking, let it cool enough to handle and then scoop out most of the flesh. Leave enough so that the skin can still hold its shape.
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Taking a spoon, scoop the desired amount of wild rice pilaf into the skin of the squash and serve.
