Vegan Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash
Summer is here, and with it an abundance of summer squash! If you’re looking for something new to do with your zucchini or squash, try out this recipe for vegan sausage stuffed summer squash. They’re flavorful, punchy, filling, and robust. Pops of fennel and chili weave through the savory sausage filling, and the summer squash is cooked until perfectly tender in a tomato broth. Serve over pasta, rice, grits, or polenta for a satisfying summer supper.
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All About Summer Squash
Most of us are familiar with zucchini (or courgette), and many of us will also be exposed to some sort of long yellow summer squash as well. But that just scratches the surface of the varieties of summer squash out there! They come in yellows, greens, and greys, and are long, short, straight, curved, spherical, and star shaped. One of my favorites is the Zephyr variety, which is yellow on top until it abruptly changes to green with no warning. Really, it’s just some amazing color blocking. This particular recipe, however, was designed for Cousa squash, aka grey squash, but you could use many other types.
Summer squash are different from winter squash (like butternut, acorn, or kobocha) in a few ways. Summer varieties ripen and are picked in the summer, taking less than half the time to grow as the winter varieties (which are picked in the fall). The skins of summer squash are typically tender and edible, whereas winter squash have thicker, inedible skins. Summer squash can be enjoyed raw, but winter squash are not too tasty without a long cook time. For storage, summer squash should be refrigerated and eaten within a couple weeks, but winter squash can last months on the countertop.
The nutritional content remains fairly consistent among the various types of summer squashes. Overall, summer squashes have a water content of approximately 95 percent. This characteristic renders them a superb option for a low-calorie vegetable, providing just around 20 calories per cup. Summer squash contain little to no fat and salt, and also rich sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and dietary fiber. In order to get the most nutrients out of your summer squash, eat them with the skins on as that is where the majority of the vitamins reside.
When selecting your zucchini and summer squash, bigger is not actually better. While the size squash you want will be different for different varieties, know that once summer squash get too large the skin becomes tougher and the insides more stringy and less tender. Look for summer squash in a small to medium size range, that are firm with skin that is shiny and free from bruises. Store them in your crisper drawer until you are ready to cook.
Looking for Summer Squash Recipes? Try one of these!
- Zucchini-Ganoush- An Easy Vegan Zucchini Recipe
- Roasted Vegan Summer Squash Side Dish
- Garlic Yeasted Savory Zucchini Bread
- Briny Summer Burdock Stalk Tapenade
- Vegan Breaded Zucchini Recipe (Baked)
- Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters
- 30 Vegan Zucchini Recipes, Savory and Sweet
Looking for TVP recipes? Try one of these!
- TVP Vegan Larb: A Delicious Laotian Salad
- Burst Intestine Vegan Savory Halloween Bread
- Savory Mushroom Vegan Hot Water Crust Pie
- Gluten-Free and Vegan Mongolian Beef from Soya
- Vegan Hearty Black Bean Meatballs
Looking for Stuffed Vegetables? Try one of these!
- Vegan Stuffed Cabbage (Okara Recipe)
- Halloween Stuffed Peppers
- Vegan Foraged Stuffed Grape Leaf Recipe
- Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms
- Tomato Masala Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Corn and Spinach
- Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Israeli Couscous
- Crispy Cornmeal Vegan Milkweed Pod Poppers
- Vegan Persimmon Dessert – Bruleed Fuyu Persimmons
- Baked Chile Relleno Cornbread Casserole
- Delicata Rounds with Lemon and Miso Dipping Sauce
How to Make Vegan Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash
These stuffed summer squashes are such a great summer dinner. They’re hardy, fresh and filling. For this particular version I used 7 small grey squash, but you can use larger squash if you like- you’ll just want to aim for about 40 inches of summer squash total, if laid end to end. If you’re using the small grey squash you can cut off both ends so the squash can stand on it’s own, and then cut them in half to create two pieces to stuff. If you’re using larger squash, cut the ends off as well but then cut into pieces about 3 inches long. You’re going to turn each of those squash pieces into a vessel to stuff by using a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the end with the seeds and make a large cavity, making sure to leave the bottom intact and not break through the sides. I save the insides of my summer squash and used them in my tomato broth, which you can do or not to your liking.
I included a recipe here for a simple tomato sauce, which you can follow, or use your favorite jarred sauce. Just know that it will have a more brothy consistency after the squash have cooked in it.
The filling for this recipe is based in TVP, or textured vegetable protein, which is a dried soy product. It is often used for its texture to replace ground meats, but has very little flavor on its own (which is why we’re going to add plenty flavor to it!). You can find T.V.P. at health food stores, and sometimes at your local supermarket, but if you’re not having any luck you can also get it online- here is a good source for it. TVP needs to be rehydrated with boiling water, in addition to some soy sauce for added flavor. Once rehydrated, the TVP is mixed with onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel, chili flakes, and salt and pepper to give it a great, sausage-like texture. The other ingredient we’re going to add is vital wheat gluten (which you can also get online if you’re having trouble finding it). Vital wheat gluten is the protein found in wheat, and will act to bind the filling together as it cooks. Just mix all the filling ingredients together, and divide it between your summer squash.
The stuffed summer squash will be cooked in a casserole dish, covered in the prepared tomato sauce. It takes about an hour for the squash to cook fully, and the resulting dish is great with pasta and rice, but especially amazing over polenta or grits.
Vegan Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash
Ingredients
- 6-8 small grey summer squash (or larger summer squash, about 40 inches of squash total)
- 1 cup dry TVP mince
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- ½ medium-sized onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. Italian reasoning
- ½ tsp. fennel seeds
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
- ½ medium-sized onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- Olive oil, for cooking
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes
- 1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
- 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups squash insides (from the grey squash used above)
Instructions
- First prepare the summer squash. Cut both ends off the squash to create a flat surface. Cut the squash in two equal parts. If you are using larger summer squash, cut it into pieces about 3 inches long. Use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds and form a large cavity in each squash, leaving the bottom intact. To start on the filling, add the TVP and soy sauce to a heat resistant bowl. Bring some water to a boil, and add one cup of boiling water to the TVP. Set aside to rehydrate.
- Start your sauce at this point. Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Take the insides of the zucchini and roughly chop them. Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are slightly translucent, and add the chili and Italian seasoning. Stir, cook for a minute or two until fragrant, and then add the tomatoes and squash insides. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer until the squash has broken down and the liquid has reduced. Use an immersion blender to create a smoother sauce or leave chunky as you prefer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). To make the filling, mince the remaining garlic and finely dice the other half onion. Add them to a mixing bowl, along with the rehydrated TVP. Add the fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, and mix. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, before adding the vital wheat gluten and mixing to combine.
- Prepare a shallow 2-quart casserole dish with a small amount of your sauce on the bottom. Take the prepared squash, and one at a time add as of the vegan sausage filling as possible to each of the squash halves. Place standing on the unfilled end in the casserole dish. If there is any extra filling simple throw it on top of the stuffed squash, followed by the tomato sauce.
- Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and cook for an hour until the squash is tender. Serve warm- delicious paired with pasta, grits or polenta, and rice.
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