Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe: Delicata Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms, Farro, Pecans & Dried Cranberries

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

Here’s a vegan entrée that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, especially if you’re not into the whole fake meat, Tofurkey scene. Stuffed Delicata squash is a rich, flavorful, elegant dish that goes beautifully with many of the usual Thanksgiving sides. It’s a seasonal food that adds brightness and color to your plate. It’s easy to put together and the whole thing can be done in advance and reheated at the last minute.

Ingredients

2 Delicata squash1 large yellow onion
chopped into medium diced2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil8 ounces white mushrooms2 cloves garlic
minced2 tablespoons soy sauce1/2 cup finely chopped pecans1 cup cooked farro (see notes)1/2 cup dried cranberriesFreshly ground black pepper1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs
minced very fine (for instance
4 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons sage and 2 tablespoons rosemary is a good combo.)A little oil for brushingSmoked paprika for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the Delicata in two lengthwise and carefully scoop out the seeds to make four long 'boats.' If the boats are too wobbly, take a very thin slice off of the bottom so they'll sit flat. Brush with oil and place in the oven and roast until they are soft and just starting to char a little, about 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan saute the onion in the grapeseed oil until it softens and just starts to turn brown. While the onions are cooking, clean the mushrooms and chop them somewhat finely (into chickpea-sized pieces.) When the onions are ready, raise the heat and add the mushrooms all at once. Spread them out so that they make as much contact with the hot pan as possible. You may need a little more oil at this point. When the mushrooms start to take on some color, stir them around a bit until they are browned and cooked through.
Turn off the heat and stir in the minced garlic. There should be enough heat left in the pan to start to cook the garlic. After about a minute, add the soy sauce which should deglaze the pan, again with any residual heat. If the pan has cooled too much, put a low flame underneath and scrape the bottom for any brown bits. When the pan is dry and the soy sauce absorbed, add the farro, nuts and dried cranberries and stir to combine. Taste for seasonings. It should be salty enough from the soy sauce but be sure to add several grindings of pepper.
Stir in half of fresh herbs and again taste, adding more herbs or pepper as needed. Remove the Delicata boats from the oven leaving the oven on. Using a soup spoon, fill the boats with the farro mixture, pressing lightly to pack them full and mounding them slightly. Return to the oven to heat everything through, about 8 to 10 more minutes. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining herbs and optional smoked paprika and serve hot.
You will probably have some stuffing left over. You can serve it on the side in a bowl or reheat it the next day as a part of the leftover feast.