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Home » Vegetarian » Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro and Mushrooms

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro and Mushrooms

Published: Sep 23, 2022 by Genevieve Morrison · This post may contain affiliate links

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4 acorn squash on a wooden plate in front of dry flowers on a table.

This stuffed acorn squash with farro, mushrooms, kale and red onion is an exquisite fall side dish that looks beautiful and tastes so exciting! Creamy parmesan, sweet acorn squash and hearty farro make such fun textures! This recipe will take just about an hour to make, and will delight your whole family!

4 acorn squash on a wooden plate in front of dry flowers on a table.
Contents hide
1 The Simple Process
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step
4 Common Questions
5 A Few Tips
6 A Few Tasty Recipe Pairings
7 Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro and Mushrooms

Acorn squash season usually starts in early October and lasts till December, but I was lucky to find it a little early in September! This recipe pairs so beautifully with roasted chicken recipes, pork chops, or even roasted duck! I intend to serve this with cozy French onion soup, roasted duck, and garlic-rosemary fingerlings at my next Autumn dinner party! 

Something to keep in mind, you’ll find the cook time of roasted acorn squash varies A LOT on the internet. I’ve seen it range from just 25 minutes to 45.

Personally, I found roasting at 400 F. (200 C.) for 40 minutes was perfect. But I would simply turn the light on in your oven and check after 30 minutes for when you see a tiny bit of browning around the tops. Just a little. You don’t want the squash to be overdone, and I’ve found the little bit of browning is a great indicator of perfectly roasted acorn squash.

The stuffing in 1 of 4 acorn squash, garnished with thyme and a flower.

The Simple Process

First, we’ll slice the acorn squash, brush it with olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper and get it roasting.

Next, We’ll put the farro on to simmer in vegetable broth, slice, dice and mince the veggies and grate a little parmesan.

Then, we’ll sauté the veggies and mix them into the finished farro with parmesan.

Finally, we’ll add a little butter to the roasted squash, and stuff them with our farro filling.

Ingredient Notes

13 ingredients on a table with labels describing what they are.

acorn squash – Be careful when cutting in half. I find the best way is to take a big knife, push it down into the squash only a little, carefully rock it a bit, then slice. Don’t try to slice it all in one go.

red onion – You can also use white onion, but I find the red onion gives the filling such a nice autumn color.

vegetable broth – you can substitute with chicken broth for a more bold flavor, and even add a little apple cider if you want to give it a more “fall” essence.

farro – You can substitute with wild rice or even barley if you can’t find farro.

parmesan – Feel free to also use Gruyere, Manchego, sharp white cheddar or even a creamy cheese like brie!

kale – You can substitute with fresh spinach or even Swiss chard.

mushrooms – I used baby bella mushrooms in this recipe but you can also use wild mushrooms, chopped shiitakes or trumpet mushrooms.

soy sauce – Might sound a little strange to use soy sauce in a recipe like this, but it gives the filling a richer flavor. Acorn squash is a very mild squash, so you need a little something to give the filling some oomph to offset the mildness.

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to prepare acorn squash and farro.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.). Carefully slice 3 acorn squash in half and remove the seeds.

2. Slice a tiny bit off the bottoms so that they lay flat.

3. Lay each half on a foil-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little honey (optional if you’d like a sweeter squash). Roast acorn squash for 30-40 minutes, until the tops are slightly brown.

4. First check to be sure your brand of farro has the same broth amount and cook time. While squash roasts, add 1 cup vegetable broth to a pot. Bring to a boil, and add ½ cup farro. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it finishes before your veggies are done, simply give it a stir and place a lid on top until they’re ready. 

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to prep vegetables and cheese.

5. While squash roasts and farro simmers, dice 1 cup red onion, chop 2 cups kale and slice 1½ cups baby bella mushrooms. To get a perfect size, slice the caps into thirds, then each slice in half. Include stems.

6. Coarsely mince 2 heaping tbsp. garlic and remove leaves from 1 tbsp. thyme.

7. Grate ½ cup parmesan.

8. Add 1½ tbsp. olive oil to a sauté pan and sauté sliced mushrooms until brown – about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and sauté for 1 minute more and set aside. If you have a large pan, you can sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms at the same time. Just keep them separate, as they have different cook times.

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to make farro stuffing and stuff squash.

9. Sauté diced onions in 1½ tbsp. olive oil until lightly brown, then add 1 tsp. more olive oil and sauté minced garlic and thyme, no longer than 1-2 minutes. Set aside – you can combine with mushrooms.

10. Sauté chopped kale with 2 tbsp. olive oil for 3-5 minutes until wilted. Sprinkle with garlic powder and fresh pepper, give it one more push around with a spatula and remove into container with mushrooms onions and garlic.

11. Once farro finishes, add 1 tbsp. soy sauce and grated parmesan and stir. Fold in sautéd vegetables.

12. When acorn squash is done roasting, brush with melted butter, spoon farro into each squash and serve.

The stuffing on 1 acorn squash, garnished with thyme and a flower.

Common Questions

1. Can I eat the skin of roasted acorn squash?

Although it is “edible” it’s not very appetizing. It’s a bit like thick apple skin without any flavor. Best to just scoop the tasty squash out of and leave on the plate.

2. How do I make this ahead for a party?

You can make the farro filling a whole day ahead, but you’ll roast the squash the night of. To reheat the filling, you can do it 2 ways:
• Microwave (covered with a paper towel) for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. of water first.
• Add to a pot with 1 tbsp of water, and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
In both situations, you may need to add another small sprinkle of soy sauce to liven it up again, as saltiness fades over time. It also never hurts to add a little more parmesan.

A Few Tips

1. As mentioned at top, please be careful cutting your squash. I find the safest way is to take a big knife, push the knife down a little, then carefully rock it a bit to get it firmly in place, then slice. Don’t try to slice it all in one go.

2. The honey is optional because you may enjoy the slight sweetness of acorn squash as is, but I kind of like it a little sweeter. It’s a preference. You can also add a teeny tiny (I mean REALLY teeny tiny) sprinkle of cinnamon to the squash before roasting to give it more of a “fall” flavor.

1 stuffed acorn squash on a plate in front of 3 others in front of dry flowers on a table.

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A Few Tasty Recipe Pairings

  • A sliced piece of chicken with Herbs de Provence and white wine mushroom sauce on a plate with salad and potatoes.
    Herbed Chicken with Mushroom Sauce
  • A bowl of French onion soup on a small lace doily in front of a candle, candle stick and glass of red wine.
    Easy French Onion Soup
  • A cooked Cornish game hen on a plate, on top of a lace doily, beside stuffing, a few flowers and 2 sage leaves.
    Stuffed Cornish Game Hen with Garlic and Sage
  • 2 pumpkin flans on plates on a table, topped with chai whipped cream, with a small cup of coffee.
    Pumpkin Flan with Chai Whipped Cream
A book cover with a title that says “Elegant Appetizers,” beside a title that says “Don’t forget your free ebook! Subscribe.”
4 stuffed acorn squash garnished with a flower and thyme on a wooden plate.

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro and Mushrooms

This stuffed acorn squash with farro, mushrooms, kale and red onion is an exquisite fall side dish that looks beautiful and tastes so exciting!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: International
Diet: Low Fat
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board and sharp knife
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 32 ounce pot
  • 1 cheese grater
  • 1 sauté pan
  • 1 foil-lined baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash
  • ½ cup farro
  • 1 cup red onion – diced
  • 2 cups kale – thinly chopped
  • 1½ cups baby bella mushrooms – sliced
  • 2 tbsp. garlic – heaping, coarsely minced
  • 1 tbsp. thyme
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup parmesan – grated
  • 2 tbsp. butter – melted
  • 5½ tbsp. olive oil – divided
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • garlic powder – just a sprinkle
  • salt & freshly ground pepper – just a sprinkle
  • 1 tsp. honey – optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.). Carefully slice 3 acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice a tiny bit off the bottoms so that they lay flat.
  • Lay each half on a foil-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little honey (optional). Roast acorn squash for 30-40 minutes, until the tops are slightly brown.
  • First check to be sure your brand of farro has the same broth amount and cook time. While squash roasts, add 1 cup vegetable broth to a pot. Bring to a boil, and add ½ cup farro. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it finishes before your veggies are done, simply give it a stir and place a lid on top until they’re done.
  • Add 1½ tbsp. olive oil to a sauté pan and sauté sliced mushrooms until brown – about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and sauté for 1 minute more and set aside. If you have a large pan, you can sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms at the same time. Just keep them separate, as they have different cook times.
  • Sauté diced onions in 1½ tbsp. olive oil until lightly brown, then add 1 tsp. more olive oil and sauté minced garlic and thyme, no longer than 1-2 minutes. Set aside – you can combine with mushrooms.
  • Sauté chopped kale with 2 tbsp. olive oil for 3-5 minutes until wilted. Sprinkle with garlic powder and fresh pepper, give it one more push around with a spatula and remove into container with mushrooms, onions and garlic.
  • Once farro finishes, add 1 tbsp. soy sauce and grated parmesan and stir. Mix in sautéd vegetables.
  • When acorn squash is done roasting, brush with melted butter, spoon farro into each squash and serve.

Notes

If you’d like, you can make the farro filling a whole day ahead, but you’ll roast the squash before serving. 
To reheat the farro filling, you can do it 2 ways:
  • Microwave (covered with a paper towel) for 2 minutes.
  • Add to a pot with 1 tbsp of water, and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
In both situations, you may need to add another small sprinkle of soy sauce to liven it up again, as saltiness fades over time. It also never hurts to add a little more parmesan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed squash | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 1041mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3415IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 3mg
« Pumpkin Rice with Fall Vegetables
Maple Butternut Squash Crostini with Mushrooms »
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Comments

  1. KM

    October 21, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    Can’t wait to make this dish!

    Reply
    • Genevieve Morrison

      October 21, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      Hope you like it!

      Reply
5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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