This Vegan Fall Harvest Butternut Squash Casserole is an easy dump-and-bake dish with roasted butternut squash, hearty farro, and sweet cranberries. Perfect as a cozy weeknight dinner, and a festive as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish. With warm, comforting fall flavors, it's a dish everyone will love!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cozy & comforting: Packed with hearty fall vegetables, farro, and warming spices for ultimate fall comfort.
- Easy dump-and-bake: Minimal prep and hands-on time, just assemble and bake!
- Perfect as a side dish or a main: Serve smaller portions as a festive side dish, or larger servings as a cozy vegan dinner.
Key Ingredients
- Garlic, shallot & veggie broth: These create a savory base for our fall casserole.
- Butternut squash & Brussels sprouts: The stars of the dish, hearty and full of fall flavor.
- Dried cranberries: For a pop of sweetness and a bit of festivity!
- Farro & cannellini beans: To make the casserole filling and add cozy, hearty texture.
- Slivered almonds: For a nutty crunch.
- Kale: Adds a pop of green!
- Lemon juice: To brighten & balance the flavor.
- Optional vegan parmesan: For a richer, slightly decadent finish.
How to Make Fall Harvest Butternut Squash Casserole
Preheat oven, sauté garlic and shallots, then add broth and seasonings.
Add squash, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, farro, and beans to a baking dish. Pour broth on top, sprinkle with almonds, cover, and bake.
Stir in kale and lemon juice, top with vegan parmesan, and bake again until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.
Recipe Tips
- Some grocery stores carry pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section, which can save you prep time. Just avoid frozen cubed squash as it hasn’t been tested in this recipe and may turn out too soft or watery.
- If chopping your own butternut squash, cut into even cubes as much as possible so the squash bakes evenly.
Serving Suggestions
- Add this Butternut Squash Casserole to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu as a festive vegan side dish! The cozy fall flavors fit perfectly on a holiday table and pair well with other holiday favorites such as mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce!
- Enjoy as a hearty main course by serving larger portions during the fall months. Perfect to feed the family!
- For even more flavor, add a quick drizzle of tahini before digging in.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you’re not into sage or thyme, swap in another hearty fall herb. Rosemary or oregano are great options that can handle the bake without losing flavor.
- Cannellini beans are my favorite in this casserole, but chickpeas work just as well. Use whichever you prefer or have on hand!
- Add pecans or walnuts instead of almonds for a different crunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chickpeas or other white beans can replace cannellini beans without changing the flavor too much.
This recipe only been tested with farro, so I cannot guarantee results with other grains at this time. Substituting another grain may require adjusting the cooking time and could affect the texture of your casserole.
Yes! This hearty casserole is made with whole plant foods and no oil. Just skip the optional vegan parmesan to keep it completely WFPB!
Other Squash Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Fall Harvest Butternut Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 shallots - thinly sliced
- 2 ¼ cups veggie broth
- 2 teaspoon fresh sage - finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme - removed from stems and finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3.5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash - (usually about 1 medium/large squash)
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts - stems and outer leaves removed, halved
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup uncooked farro - rinsed
- 1 can cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
- ½ cup raw slivered almonds
- 1.5 cups dinosaur kale - stemmed and roughly chopped (usually 1 small/medium bunch)
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- Optional: ⅓ - ½ cup vegan parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Bring a medium nonstick pot to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add just a bit of water to prevent sticking, and add your garlic and shallots. Allow to sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add veggie broth, sage, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper to the pot. Increase heat slightly and bring to a boil.
- To a 9x13 casserole dish; add your chopped butternut squash, halved Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, uncooked farro, and cannellini beans. Mix to combine everything.
- Pour your veggie broth mixture evenly on top of the casserole. Mix gently and make sure all the farro is submerged in the liquid.
- Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top. Cover the whole casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 55 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and add your kale and lemon juice. Give it a gentle mix to evenly distribute the kale. Sprinkle on optional vegan parmesan.
- Place the casserole back in the oven and continue to bake another 5-10 minutes, or until the parmesan is slightly melted (7 minutes is perfect for me).
- Remove from oven, let cool, and serve!
Nutrition
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and are calculated for one serving.
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your casserole-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
Amy Liu Dong says
I love making an easy yet healthy and delicious dish like this one, and I can't wait to make this tonight's dinner.
Delaney Marie says
Hope you love it!!
Stephanie says
This is perhaps the first recipe I've seen that instructs to saute with water instead of a bit of oil. I still used the oil. Love the veggies, and the hit of lemon juice is great to round out the flavor, but still came out a bit under seasoned, so next time I'll switch that up. Thanks!
Delaney Marie says
99% of my recipes are oil-free, so I always instruct to sauté with water - but you're always welcome to sauté with oil if you prefer. Also always welcome to add more seasoning to taste as everyone's taste buds and preferences are different! 🙂 Glad that you switched it up to make it work for you and that you enjoyed it!
Jami says
LOVE THIS! I have already made it once and I'm making it this weekend cause I've been craving it. Thank you 🙂
Delaney Marie says
So glad you love it!