Chickpea & Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

I haven't been this excited about a recipe in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I get excited about all the recipes I post on this blog...but this recipe is special. It is quite literally THE perfect fall dish. That's a bold statement...and I stand by it 100%.

I consider squash to be one of the most perfect autumn foods. They are incredibly festive and versatile. While they are roasting in the oven the house gradually fills with savory aromas and makes you want to throw on a scarf and jump in a pile of leaves holding a pumpkin spice latte (#sobasic #falleverything #PSL). But seriously, stuffed squash just screams fall. And I like it. A lot.

This recipe is surprisingly easy to make. If making a stuffed squash recipe seems daunting, give this one a try. I love acorn squash because you don't have to use every single muscle in your whole body and almost kill yourself trying to get it open (I'm looking at you, spaghetti squash). You do need to put a little umph into cutting open acorn squash, but it's much easier to open than many other hard squashes. And the filling in this recipe is just downright awesome. You only need to chop a few things and let them saute away!

Acorn squash is also fabulous because of it's high fiber content. A single serving of acorn squash has 9 grams of fiber. Hellloooooooo healthy digestion. I really like pairing squash with a healthy protein source rather than another heavy source of carbohydrates. You could easily use rice or quinoa as the main ingredient of the filling, but I much prefer beans and veggies. Beans give you a higher protein content which helps nutritionally round out this meal. I would also highly suggest topping this with avocado for some healthy fat AND just because avocado makes almost everything even better. Duh. Oh, and the filling also has kale in it. That means it's extra healthy ;)

Also, don't skimp on the fresh sage. The sage takes this meal to the next level. I'm already day dreaming about eating these bad boys on Thanksgiving.

Food this good makes me so happy. I think it will make you happy, too :)

Chickpea & Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

| Serves 2-4 |

Ingredients

2 medium acorn squash, sliced in half and seeds removed
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning the filling
1/2 tsp back pepper, plus extra for seasoning the filling
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) package white mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pepitas
1 bunch of kale, chopped
2 Tbsp low sodium tamari (or soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
4 Tbsp fresh sage, cut into strips
1 avocado, diced (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees (F).
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cut sides of the squash halves and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until fork tender, 30-45 minutes (time will vary depending on the size of your squash).
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and the liquid evaporates, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, tamari, pepitas, and kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the squash from the oven and switch your oven to the broil setting. Scoop the chickpea mixture into the squash halves and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place under the broiler until golden, about 2 minutes. Top each squash half with scallions and fresh sage and serve.
Enjoy!