1 hour 15 Minuten
Is there a dish that says autumn more than a hearty stuffed Hokkaido squash? From my childhood, I remember the version with ground meat and cheese—but these days, I like serving a vegan version. My filling of lentils, leeks, and vegan feta may seem surprisingly new at first, but it tastes as if it came straight from Grandma’s kitchen. For me, a stuffed baked squash like this is simply true autumn comfort. Since this recipe takes a little time, it’s perfect for a cozy Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening.
Stuffed Hokkaido squash, oven on, and your autumn mood is ready!
Nährwerte pro Portion
Zubereitung
Wash the squash and prick it a few times with a wooden skewer. Place it in an ovenproof pot with 200 ml water, cover with the lid, and pre-bake for 30 minutes at 180 °C fan-assisted heat.
Meanwhile, wash the lentils and cook them without salt until tender (important, otherwise they won’t soften evenly).
Cut the leek into half rings and wash it thoroughly. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley—and if you’ve opted for mushrooms, clean and slice them too. Cut the vegan feta into cubes.
After 30 minutes, briefly remove the Hokkaido squash from the oven and cut off the lid. It’s best to cut it from an angle at the top so you can easily put it back on as decoration later. Remove the seeds and bake the Hokkaido squash with the lid on the pot for another 30 minutes at 180 degrees using top heat. If the bottom of your squash is already very soft or mushy, you can now drain the water and lightly brush the outside of the squash with oil.
Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions (and the mushrooms, if using) until lightly browned. Then add the leek and let it simmer until soft.
Then add the tomato paste, parsley, garlic, lentils, vegan crème, feta, and all the spices, and mix everything well. Season the filling to taste with the spices—it can be quite intense, as the pumpkin will later add a mild sweetness. This balances everything out perfectly.
Remove the softened Hokkaido pumpkin from the oven (if it is not soft enough yet, simply bake it a little longer), coat the outside with rapeseed oil if you have not already done so, and fill it with the mixture. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you will probably have quite a bit of the pumpkin filling left over—I like to serve it alongside the stuffed Hokkaido for anyone who loves an extra filling.
Bake the stuffed Hokkaido one last time for 10 to 15 minutes at 180 degrees using top heat, then slice and serve.
Recipe Note
As you can see, stuffing Hokkaido is really no great feat—even if the ingredient list and preparation steps initially seem disappointingly long and complicated! ;)
The hardest part of this recipe is simply having enough patience. The preparation time may initially sound like there’s “far too much to do,” but most of it is waiting time. You can easily use that time to prepare the filling. And maybe enjoy an autumnal Pumpkin Spice Latte as well!
The difference between Grandma’s recipe for stuffed Hokkaido
My grandma used to put ground meat and plenty of cheese in her stuffed Hokkaido. Today, I use lentils, leeks, and vegan feta—vegetarian and even completely vegan. For me, that changes little in terms of flavor: our stuffed Hokkaido is still savory, creamy, and absolutely delicious. Because let’s be honest: What really makes stuffed Hokkaido—vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based—is the perfect combination of sweet squash and a wonderfully savory filling that simply feels cozy and warming.
If you don’t want to try either Grandma’s way or the completely vegan version, simply find your very own version: For example, use the lentils but also regular feta to make a vegetarian stuffed squash recipe. After all, this is YOUR dinner. It should taste however you want it to!
The right type of squash
For stuffed squash, there’s really only one variety I consider: Hokkaido.
It’s just the right size for stuffing (usually around 20 cm in diameter).
You can simply eat its skin, saving yourself the annoying task of peeling it.
The slightly sweet, mildly nutty flavor goes perfectly with the savory filling.
That’s why I reach for this type of squash every fall. And among all the other pumpkin recipes, stuffed Hokkaido baked in the oven is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this classic orange autumn vegetable.
A little tip: A Hokkaido squash often keeps for several weeks in a cool, dry place—so you can start shopping for squash!
Hokkaido not really your thing? Here are some delicious alternatives:
If you prefer something sweeter, reach for butternut squash: creamy flesh, a slightly firmer texture, and perfect if you want to arrange the halves lengthwise on a baking sheet.
Butternut squash works too, though it is significantly larger and needs more time in the oven.
Short on time? Stuffed Hokkaido the quick way
If you are short on time but your craving for pumpkin is so strong that you simply cannot resist, here is a great tip for combining quick cooking with your favorite recipe: Simply cut the pumpkin into pieces, add everything to a casserole dish along with the sautéed Hokkaido filling, and let it cook in the oven. It tastes just as good, but is significantly quicker than slowly roasting the whole Hokkaido. Of course, only the appearance suffers—but if you eat quickly enough, nobody will notice that either. ;) I like to call it my SOS recipe for stuffed Hokkaido.
Substitution table
Sometimes you do not have everything on hand, and that is totally okay! Here is a small substitution table for the most important ingredients in this stuffed Hokkaido:
Brown lentils → Red lentils, tofu, veggie mince, or chopped mushrooms
Vegan feta → Marinated tofu in the style of feta, other vegan cheeses, or dairy cheese if you are not vegan
Vegan crème fraîche → Vegan sour cream, plant-based yogurt, or coconut cream with a splash of lemon juice
Smoked paprika → A pinch of smoked salt
Rapeseed oil → Another heat-resistant oil
Leek → Spring onions (but significantly less)
Fresh parsley → Omit or use some dried parsley
Tomato paste → Fresh tomatoes or a splash of strained tomatoes
