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Couscous Stuffed Squash

1 hr + 30 min

Main

10 ingredients or less
This meal is both incredibly beautiful and very delicious! The combination of sweet apples and fennel with the savoury vegan sausage makes for the perfect filling for the tender squash. It's surprisingly quick to put together, while the oven does all the hard work for you.

Servings

Total

1 hr + 30 min

Prep

20 min

Cook

1 hr + 10 min

Contains

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tree nut

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gluten

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soy

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peanut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Ingredients

  • 2
    butternut squash
  • 1
    vegetable bouillon cube
  • ½ cup (86 g)
    dry couscous
  • 1 cup (240 mL)
    boiling water
  • 1
    medium leek, white section only, finely chopped
  • ½
    apple, chopped
  • ½
    fennel, bulb only, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (31 g)
    roasted walnuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup (40 g)
    dried cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    olive oil
  • 2 tsp (2 g)
    dried thyme
  • 2
    vegan sausages

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C)*. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
  2. Hollow out the upper section of the squash so that there is more room for filling**.
  3. Poke the exposed squash several times with a fork, and then bake it cut side facing down in a baking dish for 30 minutes.
  4. Crumble the bouillon over the couscous in a large bowl, and pour over the boiling water. Stir, cover with a plate, and let sit for 10 minutes
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the leek, apple, fennel, and walnuts.
  6. Add these veggies and walnuts to the bowl with the couscous, along with the cranberries, oil, and thyme. Cut or crumble the vegan sausage into the bowl as well. Mix.
  7. Divide the couscous mixture between the squash halves. Return to the oven to bake for another 30 - 40 minutes.
  8. When the squash can be easily pierced with a fork and the filling is golden, it's ready to enjoy! If the squash is still a bit hard, return it to the oven covered for an extra few minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

  • * We used top and bottom heating (not fan-assisted/convection).
  • ** Use discarded squash for soup or roast to enjoy in a nourish bowl. Roast the seeds for a delicious snack or topper for soups and salads.

Storage

  • The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
  • The leftover cooked dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 61%

• butternut squash

• dry couscous

Proteins 11%

• roasted walnuts

• vegan sausage

Fruits & Veggies 28%

• medium leek

• apple

• fennel

• dried cranberries

Calcium
No significant sources of calcium
Fat

• roasted walnuts

• olive oil

Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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More for the eyes

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Pauli - Nov. 17, 2024, 12:41 a.m.

It was good but the butternut was really tasteless - I think it’s best to put some vegan butter inside or oil with salt after making the holes and before baking the first time . @PUL team, i would reconsider what to best do to have more taste

PUL small logo PUL Team - Nov. 17, 2024, 11:25 p.m.

Thanks for the feedback, Pauli! Our store-bought sausages are already very seasoned and flavourful, so perhaps where some of the flavour differences are coming from. Adding vegan butter or oil with a sprinkle of salt and pepper before baking also sounds like a great idea for extra flavour. We’ll consider for future tweaks 🤗

Pauli - Nov. 18, 2024, 1:16 p.m.

Yay

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Shogofa sarabi - March 30, 2024, 1:52 a.m.

I cooked this. It turned very delicious very quick and easy.
It turned out exactly like photo.
Thank you very much for making this recipe and thank you for being honest for sharing your recipes and your tricks.

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 31, 2024, 5:59 a.m.

So glad that you enjoyed the stuffed squash, Shogofa!

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noya2525benyair - June 30, 2023, 10:38 a.m.

Delicious!!

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Sean - March 9, 2023, 4:55 p.m.

I made this for my wife last night. We love the combination of these ingredients and it ended up tasting great! Next time I’ll briefly microwave the squash to make it easier to cut and scoop. Also, I think there’s a picture of Sadia brushing the hollowed out squashes with oil before the initial 20 minute bake, but it’s not noted in the directions. For us the squash and stuffing took closer to an hour (covered for the last 25 minutes) to cook, but I might spend more time on the solo squash bake next time and meanwhile start the leeks and fennel off in a pan before adding to the stuffing mixture because at the end of last night’s cook they were still a bit crunchy for my liking. Just thought I’d share in case anyone else runs into the same situation. Overall, it’s a great concept and everything tastes amazing. :)

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 9, 2023, 8:05 p.m.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Sean, it's so appreciated! You have a keen eye noticing that brushing step, that's a step we ended up removing but we forgot to remove the photo as well. Apologies for any confusion. And thanks so much for letting us know about the final texture of the squash. To ensure it doesn't happen to others, we've pumped up the pre-filling cooking time of the squash (better to have softer squash than to risk it being too firm). Thanks again for helping us improve our recipes! 🤗

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Charlotte - Jan. 23, 2023, 12:30 a.m.

This was the first time I'd made stuffed squash and I loved it! I found it was even more enjoyable on the second day when eating leftovers (perhaps because I didn't cook it to perfection first time or because the flavours melded even more so!). I swapped the couscous for quinoa and vegan sausage for lentils and I found it worked super well. Thank you for the fun and tasty meal idea, perfect for the colder months! 🙏🏻

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 23, 2023, 4:59 p.m.

So thrilled it was enjoyed, Charlotte, thanks for taking the time to share your experience with it!

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