Stuffed Acorn Squash With Wild Rice, Lentils, Cherries and Walnuts

Acorn squash stuffed with wild rice and lentils make for an elegant vegan dinner! It’s easy enough for a weeknight, yet would make a lovely addition to a Thanksgiving menu. (Photo source: Dená Brummer)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 1 hour |

Ingredients

½ cup wild rice

¼ cup French green lentils

2 acorn squash

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups vegetable stock

⅓ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped dried cherries

3 chopped green onions

1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme

½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

Pre-soak the wild rice and French green lentils together for 30 minutes, adding enough cold water to cover by one inch.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Halve the acorn squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, brush or spray with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; roast for 30-45 minutes, or until tender and golden on the cut edges.

While the squash is cooking, add the wild rice, lentils and two cups of vegetable stock to a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Drain off any excess stock and stir in the dried cherries, green onions, walnuts, and thyme . Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine everything well.

Remove the squash from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before filling.

Divide the filling into the 4 squash halves. Place them on a serving dish and garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.