Leek and Mushroom Couscous Stuffed Squash
Try this Leek and Mushroom Couscous Stuffed Squash recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Leek and Mushroom Couscous Stuffed Squash recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 cup uncooked couscous (cooks in 5 minutes)
- 2 small acorn squash
- sprinkle salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp vinegar
- 1 slice maple tempeh bacon chopped
- 1 cup thin sliced leeks (approx. 1 leek)
- 1/4 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup canned chickpeas drained
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans chopped
- 2 cups cooked couscous
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- Carbohydrate 166.857016984747 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 14.01016302181 g
- Fiber 15.4898562193016 g
- Protein 27.9073196906954 g
- Saturated Fat 1.42360856263267 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 serving (569g)
- Sodium 293.481312507563 mg
- Sugar 151.367160765445 g
- Trans Fat 1.05845575013847 g
- Calories 896 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook couscous according to package instructions, subbing vegetable broth for water. (Bring vegetable broth to a simmer, turn heat off, stir in couscous, cover and let sit for 5 minutes before gently fluffing with a fork.)
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Slice squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Coat the squash (inside only) with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, inner side up.
- Combine soy sauce, maple syrup, and vinegar. Lightly brush squash with the mixture and bake for another 5-10 minutes. (This is a good time to toast the pecans!)
- Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped tempeh bacon and cook for 30 seconds before adding garlic, leeks, and carrots. Cook until carrots are nearly tender. Add mushrooms and cook until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt.
- Add chickpeas, toasted pecans, cooked couscous, thyme, and remaining soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar mixture. Stir well and set aside until squash is finished cooking.
- Once the squash is cooked, scoop out ¼ cup of flesh from each squash half, and add it to the couscous. Mix well and reheat if needed.
- Spoon the leek & mushroom couscous filling into each squash half. Top with black pepper and serve.
Undercooking the acorn squash before filling it results in a rigid shell that resists the knife and fails to meld with the grains. Roasting halves cut-side up at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes evaporates excess internal moisture, concentrating the natural sugars in the flesh. Brushing the interior with a blend of soy sauce, maple syrup, and vinegar during the final 5 to 10 minutes creates a Maillard-driven caramelization on the surface, balancing the earthy sweetness of the winter squash. Scraping one-fourth cup of cooked flesh from each half and folding it directly into the grain mixture builds a cohesive binder that prevents the filling from tumbling apart upon serving. Substituting vegetable broth for water when hydrating the couscous infuses every grain with umami before it even hits the pan. Toasting the chopped pecans over medium-high heat releases encapsulated oils, transforming raw nuttiness into deep pyrazine aromatics. Building the savory base requires rendering the tempeh bacon for precisely 30 seconds before introducing aromatics like garlic, leeks, and carrots, ensuring the fat renders without burning the minced alliums. Freezing these stuffed halves successfully demands intentional management of water activity within the starch cells. Storing the assembled squash in airtight glass containers for up to two months prevents freezer burn, provided the couscous mixture has cooled completely to room temperature prior to packing. Reheating frozen portions works best in a 350-degree Fahrenheit conventional oven for 25 minutes, covering the dish with foil initially to steam the interior before removing the cover to crisp the top layer. Microwave reheating causes the porous couscous to release steam too rapidly, turning the surrounding squash waterlogged and soggy. Maintaining distinct textural contrast between the tender roasted squash and the toasted pecans relies entirely on executing these thermal steps with precision.
