Vegan Sausage and Farro Stuffed Acorn Squash
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Vegan Sausage and Farro! A festive fall dinner that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Holidays.
Oh, how I love a good stuffed acorn squash this time of year. They are so festive and beautiful and do double duty for the holidays and for weekend dinners.
This stuffed acorn squash looks fancy, but it’s not difficult to put together. Cook your sausage and farro, then cook them together with kale and stuff them into softened acorn squash halves. Top with garlicky breadcrumbs and bake until hot and crusty on top.
These stuffed acorn squash halves would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table! See below for more details, along with tips for success, or scroll down to the full recipe.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
I’m using Beyond’s vegan Hot Italian sausage here as it’s one of my favorite plant-based sausage brands, but you can use any sausage that you like. You’ll see that I use that one often, as it’s featured in my Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe, Potato, Spinach and Sausage Soup and Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup.
I also prefer kale as a hearty compliment to the sausage and acorn squash, but spinach, swiss chard or any other greens will work.
Acorn squash is my favorite squash to use for this recipe as the inside is so creamy and fleshy, but other squashes will work! I also have a recipe for stuffed delicata squash with wild rice and another stuffed acorn squash recipe.
Farro is a nice compliment to the sausage and the kale, though wild rice, brown rice, quinoa or other hearty grains will work. I love farro and use it in so many recipes and if you’re looking for more farro ideas– check out my Italian farro bean soup, Mediterranean farro salad and farrotto with confit tomatoes.
To make these completely plant-based, use a dairy-free parmesan cheese or omit all together.
How to Make this Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
Make the Squash
Cut the acorn squash in half, then scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down in a baking dish and cover halfway with water. Bake until just tender.
Make the Filling
Brown the sausage in a wide skillet then add the onion, garlic and seasonings. Add in the kale and broth, then stir in the cooked farro.
Season the Squash
Drain the water, then gently flip the squash over. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Add the Stuffing
Add the stuffing to the acorn squash cavities and cover with the garlic bread crumb mixture. Bake until hot throughout, about 5 minutes.
Tips for Success
I prefer to par-bake the acorn squash until tender before adding in the farro and sausage filling. The water method makes for a very tender squash, but you can also roast the acorn squash halves for a more caramelized flavor.
Taste the sausage, farro, and kale filling before adding to the squash to ensure it’s seasoned correctly, as it’s hard to season once it’s baked. This is also why I recommend seasoning the squash first before adding the filling.
For ease, I make the garlicky bread crumbs in the microwave but you can also do this in a small skillet, just make sure the garlic doesn’t burn as you’ll never be able to remove the burnt garlic taste!
I love these stuffed acorn squash with a nice green salad for dinner, but they’re also great on a Thanksgiving table as a beautiful plant-based centerpiece.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Vegan Stuffing
- Mushroom Gravy
- Roasted Vegetable Thanksgiving Bowl
- Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Potatoes
- Healthy Creamed Spinach
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
If you make this stuffed acorn squash recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
Vegan Sausage and Farro Stuffed Acorn Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup uncooked farro
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 acorn squash, sliced vertically, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 vegan Italian sausages, sliced* (I used Beyond’s Hot Italian)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped*
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, regular or dairy-free
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable broth over medium-high heat and add the farro. Cook according to package directions until tender. Drain, if needed, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve the squash and remove the seeds, then place upside down in a large baking dish and add water, coming up about halfway to the squash. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until just tender but not mushy. The time will depend on how large your squash is.
- While the squash is cooking, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and add the sausage, cooking until just golden brown, breaking up with a spoon until crumbled. Remove and set aside.
- Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet and add the onion along with a good pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is just softened, and then add the thyme, sage, and kale. Cook until the kale is just softened, then add the broth. Cook for a few more minutes until well combined. Add in the cooked farro and the sausage. Taste, adding salt/pepper as desired.
- Mix the bread crumbs, olive oil, and garlic cloves, microwave for 30 seconds, then stir. Place it back in the microwave again for 30 seconds until it is just golden and fragrant. Alternatively, you can do this in a small skillet until golden brown. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Assemble! Gently remove the squash from a baking dish and drain the water. Add the squash back to the dish, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper. Spoon the sausage and kale mixture into the acorn squash. Spoon on the parmesan cheese and panko bread crumb mixture over the sausage and kale mixture. Return back to the oven and bake another 5 minutes to warm through and create a nice golden-brown crust on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
*I like Tuscan or Lactino kale over curly kale, but either will work