Quinoa, Kale and Tempeh Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa, kale and tempeh stuffed acorn squash is a perfect vegan fall recipe.  Tempeh is a fermented vegan protein source, quinoa provides iron and kale provides vitamins A and C.  A healthy, savory and comforting fall vegan recipe.  The tempeh stuffed acorn squash is a perfect vegan Thanksgiving recipe. 

 

quinoa kale tempeh stuffed acorn squash

 




 

Note: I’ve gone back and updated the pictures of the quinoa, kale and tempeh stuffed acorn squash, but the content remains the same.  Sometimes the pictures need an upgrade 🙂 

 

The holidays can be rough when you are the only vegan at mealtime.  Most of the time there are not many food options, or you have to deal with lots of questions about being vegan.  For me, I’ve been vegan for two years now, but for 25 years prior, I celebrated Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc. as a non-vegan with my family.  The don’t quite seem to get it yet.

 

“What do you mean you don’t eat baked brie? You used to love it!”

“Yes I know, but now I don’t.”

weird

 

 

Rinse. Repeat.

 

In order to help alleviate some of the holiday pressure, I offer to make a delicious vegan holiday recipe to share with the family as a main dish. Quinoa, kale, and tempeh stuffed acorn squash. 

 

quinoa kale tempeh stuffed acorn squash

 

This recipe satisfies my craving for warm holiday comfort food.   The acorn squash has a smooth and nutty taste.  The tempeh provides protein to rebuild muscles after my morning Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.  Quinoa is rich in iron, which helps carry oxygen to muscles.  Kale rounds out the dish with B vitamins and a nice pop of color.  This tempeh stuffed acorn squash is absolutely delicious and often gets compliments from non-vegan guests.

 

The quinoa mixture makes enough for four stuffed acorn squash halves.  Depending on the size of your acorn squash, there may even be extra.  No problem there! The quinoa mixture can be offered up as a great side dish for the table, or saved for later use (like this pineapple quinoa stir fry).  At Thanksgiving, I love to eat stuffed acorn squash with a serving of cranberry sauce on the side.  If I’m making it for myself in the fall and winter, I opt for pomegranates on the side. Whether cranberry sauce or pomegranates, the sweet and tangy flavors complement the savory dish.

 

quinoa kale tempeh stuffed acorn squash

 

This quinoa, kale and tempeh stuffed acorn squash is a savory, wholesome, vegan fall meal.  It makes a great vegan main dish for the holidays.   If you only use one acorn squash, you will have plenty of mixture left over.  Add it to salads, tacos, or eat as a side dish to another vegan main.  The sky’s the limit!

 

If you try this recipe, let me know!  Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram.  I’d love to see your tempeh stuffed acorn squash creations!  

 

Buen provecho,

Becca

 

 

What I used for this recipe…

 

Print Recipe
Quinoa, Kale and Tempeh Stuffed Acorn Squash
This makes a great vegan main dish or side dish for any holiday gathering. The tempeh and quinoa provide protein, while the acorn squash and kale provide vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.
quinoa kale tempeh stuffed acorn squash
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
halves
Ingredients
  • 2 medium acorn squash
  • 1 8oz package tempeh
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup vegetable broth divided
  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 6 cups chopped kale (roughly 1 medium-sized bunch)
Optional
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 cup vegan cheese
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
halves
Ingredients
  • 2 medium acorn squash
  • 1 8oz package tempeh
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup vegetable broth divided
  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 6 cups chopped kale (roughly 1 medium-sized bunch)
Optional
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 cup vegan cheese
quinoa kale tempeh stuffed acorn squash
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. To prepare tempeh: In a small dish, whisk together 1/4 cups soy sauce, 3/4 cup vegetable broth, 1/4 tsp pepper. In a medium-sized bowl, crumble the tempeh into chunks. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tempeh and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. While the tempeh is marinating, prepare the squash: Slice the acorn squash in half (horizontally) and scoop out the seeds inside so it looks like a small bowl. Place halves upside down on a baking sheet with enough water to slightly cover the sides of the squash so that it doesn't dry out or burn. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip over and lightly brush the top with 1 teaspoon of oil. Shake on spices to taste- I love to add cumin, red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt. Cook face up for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.
  4. While the squash is in the oven, prepare the quinoa: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and bring back to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook quinoa for 10-15 minutes. After that time, remove from heat, fluff with fork, and then cover and let sit for 5 minutes so the quinoa comes out steamed and fluffy.
  5. A few minutes before the squash is done, cook the tempeh. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet and add the garlic clove and chopped onion. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly browned. Remove the tempeh from the refrigerator and drain. Add the drained tempeh to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes until tempeh is browned and slightly crispy.
  6. Add 6 cups of chopped kale to skillet. Pour in the remaining 1/4 c of vegetable broth and cook until the kale is wilted. Stir in the quinoa and fully mix all ingredients. Remove from heat and set aside.
  7. Remove acorn squash from the oven. Stuff with quinoa, kale and tempeh mixture.
  8. Optional step: After stuffing the mixture into the squash, sprinkle some vegan cheese on top. Turn on the broiler and return to the top rack for 3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
  9. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

** It doesn't matter the type of quinoa you use.  You can use rainbow, white, or brown quinoa.  The cooking times and flavor profiles are all the same.  I prefer cooking with rainbow quinoa because I like to color.

 

** To keep the total time to under one hour, cook the three components at the same time. First begin marinating the tempeh, since that takes the longest.  Then put the squash in the oven.  Then cook the quinoa.  By the time the quinoa is done, you can begin to cook the tempeh.  When the acorn squash is done cooking, you'll have the quinoa, kale and tempeh mixture ready to go.

 

Share this Recipe

 




Share your thoughts below

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments