Vegan Vegan Holidays Vegan Thanksgiving Vegan Thanksgiving Main Dish Moroccan Chickpea-Stuffed Acorn Squash 4.6 (5) 4 Reviews Think of this healthy vegetarian side dish recipe as a meatless tagine served in a squash bowl. Kabocha, sweet dumpling or carnival squash make good alternatives to acorn squash. To make this side a hearty vegetarian meal, serve 2 halves each. By Raghavan Iyer Updated on September 23, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD See More Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H, RD, is a Chinese and Jewish chef and dietitian who has worked in all facets of the food world. She is a recipe developer, culinary nutritionist and marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience creating editorial and digital content for top food and kitchen brands. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 8 servings Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly Nut-Free Dairy-Free Healthy Pregnancy Healthy Immunity Low-Sodium High Blood Pressure Soy-Free High-Fiber Heart-Healthy Vegan Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Low-Calorie Jump to Nutrition Facts The vibrant combination of spices brings a savory-sweet flavor profile to this vegetarian dish.Acorn squash provides a good source of fiber to support digestive health.You can swap other squash varieties like kabocha, sweet dumpling or carnival for the acorn. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed and tested at its original yield and has not been tested at other yields. Note that only the ingredient list is scaled, so you may need to make adjustments to ingredient amounts, cooking times and equipment sizes in the recipe steps. Scaling could also impact the nutrition analysis. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings 4 acorn squash (about 5 pounds total), halved lengthwise, seeds removed 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, divided ¾ teaspoon salt, divided 1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric 1 cup finely chopped onion 4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 cups cubed winter squash (1/2-inch), such as kabocha or butternut 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 ¼ cups water ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each squash half so it will sit nicely when stuffed. Brush the insides with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared pan. Bake until tender but still firm, 40 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, finely grind cinnamon stick, coriander and cumin seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Tap the mixture into a small bowl and stir in paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne to taste, turmeric and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the spice blend into the onion and add cubed squash; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Fill each baked squash half with about 1 cup of the chickpea stew. Tips To make ahead: Refrigerate stew (Steps 3-5) for up to 2 days. Reheat before filling the baked squash. Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2016 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 267 Calories 7g Fat 49g Carbs 7g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Serving Size 1/2 stuffed squash each Calories 267 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 49g 18% Dietary Fiber 10g 35% Total Sugars 8g Protein 7g 14% Total Fat 7g 9% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Vitamin A 3309IU 66% Vitamin C 39mg 43% Folate 106mcg 27% Sodium 442mg 19% Calcium 144mg 11% Iron 4mg 21% Magnesium 112mg 27% Potassium 1146mg 24% Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.