Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Mushroom

Have you ever tried stuffing a pumpkin and roasting it to perfection? If not, then you should try this recipe! Every Thanksgiving, my aunt makes this stuffed pumpkin with rice, sautéed onions, celery, and lots of sausage…so I took the challenge of re-creating her dish with a vegan twist. Living a plant-based life can be easy and enjoyable; I’m here to show you that all of your favorite foods can still be made with plant-based ingredients. Instead of sausage, I reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms for a “meaty” texture which gives the dish a wonderful flavor profile!

Yields 2-3 pumpkins

Ingredients

2-3 pumpkin pie pumpkin (or 1 large pumpkin)

2 oz. dried Shitake mushrooms, chopped and reconstituted (see notes)

4 cups white rice, cooked

1 stick vegan butter

2 cups onion, chopped

1-1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup red wine, de-glaze

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire, to coat each pumpkin

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

2 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. To reconstitute the dried shitaki mushrooms, fill a bowl with hot water and soak for 1 hour. Remove the stems once they are all soft and dice the shiitake mushroom into 1-in. Note: Make sure that the mushrooms are soft and well hydrated.
3. Saute the onion and celery for 5-7 minutes. At this same time, cook your rice according to the package instructions. Remove the onion and celery from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.
4. In the same frying pan, add butter and reconstituted mushrooms and pan fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the red wine to the mushrooms and cook on high for 2 minutes. Add to the cooked rice, onions and celery mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
5. Cut the top off of your pumpkin and remove the top, seeds, and clean the inside out. Brush the inner walls with Worcestershire and add the mushroom and rice mixture.
6. Place the pumpkin inside of a pan with 1-in” water to steam. Cover the pumpkin with the top and bake for roughly 40-50 minutes. The pumpkin should be soft and the outside should be charred.

Chef’s tip: The darker the pumpkin the better. The