If you need a show piece for your holiday table, I have got you covered! I worked with Earthbound Farm to put together this gorgeous and delicious Stuffed Kabocha Squash Centerpiece that’s great for any special fall occasion.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good plant-based, faux-meat holiday dish, but sometimes they can be a bit pricey or hard-to-find. Plus, the produce that Fall brings is amongst my favorite of the year! 

Maybe this November, we can serve up something that is utterly gorgeous, rich in plants, and as always, suuuuper tasty? This Stuffed Kabocha Squash Centerpiece covers all of the bases! Plus, it’s gluten-free, and has some other allergy-friendly tricks to feed all of your guests. 

Though I don’t mention it often, because I always want my recipes to be as accessible as possible, I try to buy organic ingredients when they’re available. Even since I first went vegan it’s been a priority of mine, especially learning the difference in farming practices. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I love gardening! And that’s where all of these points of interest culminate. 

I’ve been buying Earthbound Farm products for YEARS, so this partnership has me so excited! EF’s Spring Mix has already been used in plenty of recipes, but I love what it brings to this stuffed squash. I added it to the stuffing, as it gives a touch of peppery-ness to the sweet and savory ingredients. Then, I’ve also surrounded the final dish with a customizable salad; gorgeous AND functional!

You can find EF’s products in most grocery stores, use their store locator to double check before you go. What are some of your favorite products of theirs? A couple of my faves are this Spring Mix (of course), their Frozen Mango, and the Baby Arugula!

1 year: Roasted Red Cabbage Soup // 3 years: Mini Persimmon Coffee Cakes // 6 years: Stuffed Seitan Roast // 7 years: Apple Pie Chia Pudding // 8 years: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

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Stuffed Kabocha Squash Centerpiece

If you need a show piece for your holiday table, I have got you covered! I worked with Earthbound Farm to put together this gorgeous and delicious Stuffed Kabocha Squash Centerpiece that’s great for any special fall occasion.

Course Dinner, Entree, Holiday

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, nut-free option, soy-free option, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 4 -6 servings

Author Jackie Sobon of Vegan Yack Attack

Equipment

• Casserole Dish

Ingredients

Roasted Squash

• 1 large squash roughly 5 pounds (2268 g)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stuffing

• 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion diced
• 1 carrot washed well and chopped
• 1 parsnip peeled and chopped
• 1 large stick celery chopped
• 8 ounces (225 g) tempeh*
• 1/2 cup (100 g) short-grain brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegan chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 gala apple cored and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt-free poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 cups (125 g) loosely packed Earthbound Farm Spring Mix, divided
• 1/2 cup (52 g) chopped walnuts*, plus more for salad
• 1/4 cup (27 g) dried cranberries
• Your favorite salad dressing

Instructions

• For the squash, preheat oven to 400F, and have ready a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Slice the top 1-inch (or so) off of the squash, to create a lid, then scoop out the insides and discard them. Or, clean and save the seeds for roasting or planting. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then rub it on all cut surfaces of the squash.
• Pierce squash and lid with a fork, several times, then place them in the casserole dish. Add a 1/4-inch layer of water to the dish, then place in the oven to roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork-tender.
• While the squash is roasting, warm 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pot, over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, carrot, parsnip, and celery to the pot, stirring to coat veggies in oil. Using your hands, crumble the tempeh into the pot, then sauté mixture for 3 minutes.
• Next, add rice, toasting with mixture for 2 minutes, then add broth, apple, poultry seasoning, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover with lid, bring the mixture to a boil, then adjust heat to low-medium and simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and liquid absorbed. Turn heat off and stir 2 cups (50 g) Earthbound Farm Spring Mix and walnuts into the stuffing, then season with salt, to taste.
• Once the squash is roasted through, fill it with the rice stuffing, cover with “lid,” then cool on a rack for 15 minutes before surrounding the base of the squash with the remaining greens, extra walnuts, and dried cranberries. Serve while warm, with salad dressing on the side.

Notes

Note: Substitute the tempeh with a 15 ounce-can of white beans, drained and rinsed, for a soy-free option. Substitute the walnuts with pumpkin seeds for a nut-free option.

I can’t wait to see y’all give this Stuffed Kabocha Squash Centerpiece a go, this holiday season! As always, make sure to tag @veganyackattack or #veganyackattack so that I can see your beautiful dishes.

Earthbound Farm sponsored this post, all opinions and words are honest and my own. Posts like these help to support VYA and keep the blog going!