Loaded with chickpeas, onions, and a few basic seasonings, this vegan stuffed butternut squash is a delicious fall recipe that will leave you warm and satisfied. It can be served both as a side dish as well as a main dish.
If you are looking for some delicious plant-based holiday recipes to enjoy with family and friends then this vegan butternut squash stuffed with chickpeas recipe is a must-try.
It's one of the oldest and most loved vegan recipes on my blog which I have revamped this season with new images and more recipe information for my readers.
This stuffed butternut squash is a very flavorful and satisfying dish that is vegan and gluten-free.
But, even if you are not on a vegan diet, I would highly recommend you try it once, you will love it.
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What goes in chickpea-stuffed butternut squash?
This easy recipe requires the ingredients that are shown below:
Ingredient details and substitute suggestions
- Butternut squash: It's a winter squash with a delicious sweet taste. For this recipe, I have used one medium-sized butternut squash which can serve 4 people. You can use more butternut squash if you are planning to make it for more people. Just increase the quantity of other ingredients proportionately, if doing that.
- Chickpeas: Both homecooked and canned chickpeas are fine to be used. Discard the liquid, if using canned chickpeas. You can also use other beans of your choice like cannellini beans, kidney beans, black beans, etc. More than one type of bean can also be used.
- Garlic: Instead of fresh garlic, garlic powder can be used too.
- Onion: I have used red onion, but white or yellow onion are also fine.
- Nutritional yeast: It's a deactivated yeast with a cheese-like flavor. If you don't like its taste, skip it. Non-vegans may add regular dairy cheese of choice instead of nutritional yeast.
- Vegetable bouillon cube: This ingredient adds a lot of flavor to the filling but if you don't have it, skip it.
- Vegan cheese: Adding vegan cheese is also optional. If you don't like the taste of plant-based cheese, don't add it. This stuffed butternut squash tastes good even without the cheese.
- Seasonings: To flavor the dish, I have used red chili powder, red chili flakes, cumin powder, dried thyme, oregano, and ground black pepper. You can use seasonings of your choice too. I would recommend not skipping cumin powder as it adds a very nice flavor to this dish. I feel that the heat of the filling goes really well with the sweetness of the butternut squash. But, if your heat tolerance is low you can skip or reduce the amount of red chili powder and red chili flakes.
- Oil: Preferably olive oil but if you don't have that vegetable oil or canola oil can also be used.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are shared in the recipe card.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
To make this stuffed butternut squash recipe, follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below:
Step 1: Using a sharp knife, cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Place both halves on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix around 1 tablespoon of olive oil with red chili powder.
Step 3: Brush the flesh of the butternut squash with the oil and chili powder mixture.
Step 4: Flip them over and put the flesh side down.
Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400℉) for around 45 minutes or until cooked well. Take out from the oven and allow to get slightly colder.
Step 6: Scoop out the pulp, leaving around half an inch margin on all sides. Mash or finely chop the scooped-out butternut squash pulp. Keep it aside.
Step 7: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add chopped onion to it. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
Step 8: Add crumbled vegetable bouillon cube and minced garlic. Saute for a few seconds.
Step 9: Add dried oregano, thyme, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Saute for around 30 seconds.
Step 10: Add cooked chickpeas and mashed butternut squash pulp.
Step 11: Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Turn off the heat.
Step 12: Add nutritional yeast to the chickpea mixture.
Step 13: Add lemon juice. Mix.
Step 14: Stuff the butternut squash cavity with chickpea filling.
Step 15: Add shredded vegan cheese on top.
Step 16: Bake at 200°C (400℉) for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Your delicious vegan chickpea-stuffed butternut squash is ready to be served.
Serving stuffed butternut squash
Serve this chickpea butternut squash warm.
You can serve it with any pasta, rice, or quinoa dish. You can also pair it up with bread or dinner rolls.
Or, just serve some grilled vegetables, a fresh salad, or a bowl of soup with the roasted butternut squash.
Storing, freezing, and reheating tips
- Store: Transfer the leftover stuffed butternut squash to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will be fine for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze this dish. To freeze, allow it to get cold then tightly wrap with a cling wrap and freeze. It will be fine for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: To reheat, if the dish is frozen, thaw it first. Then either microwave until evenly heated or cover the top of the butternut squash with an aluminum sheet and reheat covered in the oven at 180°C (or, 350℉) for around 25 minutes.
Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions
- Instead of chickpeas, you can also use other beans of choice like kidney beans, cannellini beans, or black beans. You can mix different beans and use them too.
- Both homecooked and canned beans are fine to be used.
- You can also add some cooked rice, quinoa, couscous, bulgur wheat, or pasta to the filling.
- Feel free to use seasonings of your choice to flavor the dish.
- Adding red chili powder is optional. If your heat tolerance is low, skip it.
- You can also skip vegan cheese in this recipe, it tastes great without the cheese too.
- Adding nutritional yeast is optional, if you don't like its taste, skip it.
- Non-vegans may use regular dairy cheese.
- This filling can also be used to make stuffed acorn squash.
More meat-free comfort food recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe for baked butternut squash stuffed with chickpeas and looking for more easy meat-free comfort food recipes then the following links are worth trying out:
- Roasted tomato and quinoa soup (vegan)
- Potato and mushroom soup (vegan)
- Greek white bean soup (vegan)
- Kidney bean stew (vegan)
- Frozen vegetable soup (vegan)
- Greek baked butter beans (vegetarian)
- Lentil casserole (vegetarian)
- Vegetable enchilada casserole (vegetarian)
- Creamy vegetable noodle soup (vegetarian)
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Recipe
Vegan chickpea stuffed butternut squash
Equipment
- Oven
- baking tray
- Knife and chopping board
- 1 Pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized butternut squash
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup vegan cheese of choice optional
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds.
- Mix around 1 tablespoon of olive oil and red chili powder in a bowl. Brush this mixture on the butternut squash pulp.
- Line a baking tray with a baking sheet and place the butternut squash halves on it with the flesh side down. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400℉) for around 45 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked well.
- Once baked, take out the butternut squash from the oven and let it reach room temperature. Scoop out the pulp, leaving around half an inch margin on all sides. Mash or finely chop the scooped-out butternut squash pulp.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add chopped onions to it. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
- Add crumbled bouillon cube and minced garlic. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add salt and all the other seasonings. Saute for around 30 seconds.
- Add cooked chickpeas and butternut squash pulp. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Add nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Mix.
- Stuff the butternut squash cavity with chickpea stuffing.
- Top it with vegan cheese and bake at 200°C (400℉) for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Video
Notes
- Instead of chickpeas, you can also use other beans of choice like kidney beans, cannellini beans, or black beans. You can mix different beans and use them too.
- Both homecooked and canned beans are fine to be used.
- You can also add some cooked rice, quinoa, couscous, bulgur wheat, or pasta to the filling.
- Feel free to use seasonings of your choice to flavor this dish.
- Adding red chili powder is optional. If your heat tolerance is low, skip it.
- You can also skip vegan cheese in this recipe, it tastes great without the cheese too.
- Adding nutritional yeast is optional, if you don't like its taste skip it.
- Non-vegans may use regular dairy cheese.
- This filling can also be used to make stuffed acorn squash.
- More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
This was excellent, great spice ratio (I halved chili flake and powder quantities because I anticipated it would be a bit too spicy for me otherwise). People loved it!
Thanks a lot Bette for your comment. Glad to know that you liked the recipe.