Stuffed Acorn Squash with Farro and Mushrooms

4 stuffed acorn squash garnished with a flower and thyme on a wooden plate.

5 from 3 votes

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!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: International

Diet: Low Fat

Servings: 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.

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