Lentil and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sage and Walnuts
Roasted acorn squash halves stuffed with herby green lentils, browned mushrooms, kale and toasted walnuts. A hearty, savory vegan dinner for fall.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
Lentil and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sage and Walnuts is a vegan dinner recipe made with acorn squash (about 1½ lb each), olive oil, salt. It takes 70 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 496 calories, 18 g of protein and 11 g of fiber.
This lentil stuffed acorn squash goes savory. The filling tastes like a good Thanksgiving stuffing but uses lentils instead of bread. Brown the mushrooms hard before anything else goes in the pan, because that browning, plus a splash of soy sauce and nutritional yeast, gives the filling its deep, meaty flavor. Green lentils keep their shape after simmering, so the filling stays hearty instead of turning to mush, and a second trip into the oven crisps the walnut topping.
A protein boost + savory flavor profile (herby lentil, mushroom and walnut filling for a hearty main instead of sweet quinoa, apple and pecan) take on our Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apple, Sage and Toasted Pecans.
Ingredients
Squash
- 2 medium862 gacorn squash (about 1½ lb each), halved and seeded
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- ½ tsp3 gsalt
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
Filling
- ¾ cup144 gdried green lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 2 cups480 glow-sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup88 gwalnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp27 golive oil, divided
- 8 oz227 gcremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 medium50 gshallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 2 tbsp4 gfresh sage, finely chopped
- 3 cups63 gkale, stems removed, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp5.3 gbalsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp10 gnutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp1.5 gsalt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
- 2 tbsp7.6 gfresh parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)
Kit: rimmed baking sheet, medium saucepan, large skillet, fine-mesh strainer
Tips
- Chop the mushrooms small, about the size of a lentil, so they blend into the filling and every bite is savory.
- Don't crowd or stir the mushrooms too early. They need contact with the hot pan to brown instead of steaming.
- If your squash halves are small, any leftover filling makes a good lunch reheated with a fried tofu slice or tucked into a wrap.
- To save time, use 2 cups of cooked or canned lentils and skip the simmering step.
Swap ideas
- Pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts
- Pecans taste sweeter and more buttery. Hazelnuts add a toastier crunch.
- Spinach instead of kale
- Spinach wilts in under a minute and makes a softer, milder filling.
- Shiitake instead of cremini
- Shiitake gives a deeper, smokier flavor. Remove the stems before chopping.
- Delicata squash instead of acorn
- The thin skin is edible and the halves roast faster, 25–30 minutes, but hold a bit less filling.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
496kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.9 g 14%
- Sugars
- 4.3 g
- Sodium
- 1041 mg 45%
- Potassium
- 1551 mg 33%
- Calcium
- 175 mg 13%
- Iron
- 5.7 mg 32%
- Vitamin C
- 43 mg 47%
- Vitamin B12
- 9.44 µg 393%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Squash, raw, acorn, winter, Oil, olive, salad or cooking, Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Lentils, raw, Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve, Nuts, walnuts, english, Mushrooms, brown, italian, or crimini, raw, Shallots, raw, Garlic, raw, Sauge, fraîche (values from the Anses Ciqual 2017 table, as reproduced by laurentberta.com). No fresh sage entry exists in USDA FoodData Central., Kale, raw, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Vinegar, balsamic, Nutritional Yeast Seasoning by BRAGG (fortified; legacy USDA Branded Foods entry as reproduced by NutritionValue.org)
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut each squash in half through the stem and scoop out the seeds. Shave a thin slice off the rounded bottom of each half so it sits flat. Brush the cut sides and cavities with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place the halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until a knife slides easily into the thickest part, 35–40 minutes.
While the squash roasts, put the lentils and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 20–25 minutes. Drain off any leftover liquid.
Toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker, 3–4 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside ¼ cup for the topping.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and spread them out. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until their liquid has evaporated and they are deeply browned, 8–10 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the shallots. Cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the kale and a splash of water and stir until the kale has wilted and turned bright green, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the cooked lentils, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, the non-reserved walnuts, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Turn the roasted squash cut-side up. Divide the filling among the halves, mounding it generously, then sprinkle the reserved walnuts over the top.
Return the squash to the oven and bake until the filling is hot and the walnuts on top are crisp at the edges, about 10 minutes. Scatter parsley over the top, if using, and serve.
Storage: Refrigerate stuffed halves in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or microwave until hot. You can also make the filling up to 3 days ahead and store it separately, then stuff and bake the freshly roasted squash when you're ready to eat.
Questions
- How much protein is in lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts?
- Each of the 4 servings has 18 g of protein, 11 g of fiber and 496 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, so 70 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts ahead?
- Refrigerate stuffed halves in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or microwave until hot. You can also make the filling up to 3 days ahead and store it separately, then stuff and bake the freshly roasted squash when you're ready to eat.
- What can I substitute in lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts?
- Pecans or hazelnuts instead of walnuts — pecans taste sweeter and more buttery. hazelnuts add a toastier crunch.. Spinach instead of kale — spinach wilts in under a minute and makes a softer, milder filling.. Shiitake instead of cremini — shiitake gives a deeper, smokier flavor. remove the stems before chopping.. Delicata squash instead of acorn — the thin skin is edible and the halves roast faster, 25–30 minutes, but hold a bit less filling..
- Does lentil and mushroom stuffed acorn squash with sage and walnuts contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 26, 2026 ·American
