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Day 325.
We’re sharing Thanksgiving Dinner and Desserts and I’m sharing a side dish that can also hold its own as a vegan and vegetarian main dish: Butternut Squash Quinoa Stuffing.
I had beautiful butternut squash in my most recent CSA box and craisins leftover from these fantastic Cranberry-Orange Scones, so I decided to craft a stuffing recipe that’s healthy AND delicious. I’ve filled my naturally vegan and gluten-free stuffing with butternut squash, cranberries, and walnuts.
Since I’m allergic to celery and don’t eat meat, stuffing’s not something I often get to try. But, to be honest, even when I do try it, the soaked and baked bread cubes just aren’t my thing. I crafted my stuffing with quinoa instead.
New to quinoa?
If you’ve never used, or even heard of quinoa, don’t despair…it’s really simple to cook (a lot like rice or couscous) and, with a mild nutty taste, primarily takes on the flavor of what you cook with it. It’s the biggest bonus, especially for vegetarians and vegans, is that it’s a complete protein.
So, it can really stand as its own complete meal when fruits and veggies are mixed in. Unlike rice, you absolutely CANNOT skip the rinsing step for quinoa. I’ll admit it, I skip that step A LOT with rice. But quinoa has a natural bitter coating that acts as a pest deterrent, so you must rinse this off prior to cooking or it will taste bitter.
Butternut Squash Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients for 10-12 side servings or 8 entree servings
1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
2 small onions, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon House seasoning (or kosher salt and black pepper)
2 cups quinoa, raw
2 cups Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
Method
Prepare squash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and pulp.
Score into cubes without cutting through the skin.
Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place in oven and add about 1/2 cup water to the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix onions with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of House seasoning.
Roast at 400 alongside squash for 15 minutes. (I add it to the same sheet 15 minutes into the roasting time after most of the water has evaporated.)
Prepare quinoa
Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly.
Add quinoa to the saucepan, bring back to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes until quinoa sprouts are showing and most of the liquid is absorbed.
In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning.
Prepare the stuffing
When squash and onions are ready, reduce oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cut squash from the skin in rough cubes.
Add onions, squash and balsamic mix to quinoa.
Mix chopped nuts and dried cranberries and fold into quinoa.
Pour into a sprayed 13 x 9 baking dish.
Top with crushed nuts, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
Fluff with a fork and serve.
The Results
This dish is incredible. It has so many wonderful flavor notes and everyone loved it. The kids went crazy for it. My meat-eating husband, who didn’t realize what exactly I was making said “mmm…this tastes like stuffing.” So, I think I accomplished that goal.
This will definitely be adorning our holiday tables in the near future.
This post is shared at·Mouthwatering Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, On the Menu Monday, Cravings, Just Another Meatless Monday,·Homemaker Monday.·Meatless Mondays,·Mingle Monday, MMMmonday, Mangia Monday, Make a Food-e Friend, Recipe Sharing Monday, Made By You Mondays, Monday Mania.Tuesdays at the Table, Tuesday Night Supper Club,·Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,·Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,·Delicious Dishes,·Real Food Wednesday, Recipe of the Week, Hearth and Soul,Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.
Recipe card
Butternut Squash Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon House seasoning (or kosher salt and black pepper)
- 2 cups quinoa, raw
- 2 cups Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and pulp. Score into cubes without cutting through the skin. Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and add about 1/2 cup water to the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix onions with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of House seasoning. Roast at 400 alongside squash for 15 minutes. (I add it to the same sheet 15 minutes into the roasting time after most of the water has evaporated.)
- Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Add quinoa to saucepan, bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes until quinoa sprouts are showing and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning. When squash and onions are ready, reduce oven heat to 350 and cut squash from the skin in rough cubes. Add onions, squash and balsamic mix to quinoa. Mix chopped nuts and dried cranberries and fold into quinoa. Pour into a sprayed 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with crushed nuts, if desired.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Fluff with a fork and serve.
