We’ve got two months left in the year with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner and so I’m getting all festive on the blog today with this Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate.
I got a lovely winter squash selection from the Farmers Market today from one of my favourite organic producers, just perfect to create a special plantbased, seasonal and super wholesome meal that’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season.
In this recipe I’ve used six small winter squashes in different varieties, they all have slightly different flavours which I think make the meal more fun. You can use any type of squash or pumpkin that you like in this recipe. I’ve also roasted the squash seeds and used them for topping. It is fiddly, but so worth it and they add lovely crispiness. If you don’t fancy roasting them, just use pumpkin seeds instead.
I’ve added the pomegranate for the gorgeous red colour and the festive feel. Cranberries would also work well. I’ve tried to keep the ingredients simple and not over-complicating the recipe, I’ve added the aduki beans in case you’d like extra protein. You can experiment with adding different nuts, seeds, leafy greens, mushrooms… whatever you fancy. Enjoy:)
- 6 mini winter squashes
- 250g quinoa ( 1½ cups)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 thyme sprigs
- ½tsp oregano
- sea salt & pepper
- 240g cooked aduki beans, optional (1½ cup)
- 75g walnuts, toasted (2/3 cup)
- small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- pomegranate seeds to serve
- For the squash seeds:
- thyme & oregano
- sea salt
- paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
- olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400F)
- Wash the squash and cut about ¼ to ⅓ from the top to make a lid. Scoop out all of the seeds and save to use later. Rub the outside and the inside with little olive or coconut oil and season with sea salt. Place onto a baking tray with the lids on and bake for 40-45 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork.
- Separate the seeds from the fleshy part (very fiddly) and rinse in warm water. Pat dry and place onto a baking tray. Toss with little olive or coconut oil, thyme, oregano, sea salt and pepper and roast for about 20-25 minutes until slightly brown and crispy.
- Roast the walnuts for about 10 minutes until fragrant.
- Measure 1½ cup of quinoa, place into a mesh strainer and rinse under running water. Place into medium pot and cover with 2¼ cup water. (1½ times the volume of quinoa) Bring to boil, cover with lid and simmer on a low heat until all of the water has been absorbed. Leave to stand for 10 minutes covered and fluff up with fork.
- In a medium pan heat 2tbsp of olive or coconut oil, add chopped onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes, add garlic, thyme and oregano and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in aduki beans if using and season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Stir the mixture into the cooked quinoa, add roughly chopped walnuts, chopped fresh parsley and season to taste.
- Stuff each of the squash with the mixture and place back into the oven for 10 more minutes to warm through before serving.
- Top with pomegranate, fresh parsley, thyme and freshly roasted squash seeds.
- Enjoy!
So now you’ve got me feeling all Christmassy here and now I know what to do with that gorgeous Celebration squash, and a few other squash varieties, that I bought at the farmer’s market! Thanks Hana – that was a really lovely post! Can’t wait to try this recipe xxx
You’re so welcome Teresa! I’m really happy that you’ve enjoyed this post, I had a great time creating it! Christmas comes and goes so fast, we might as well already get into the mood now:) xxx
Such a beautiful, wholesome, comforting recipe! Love this time of year for food.
Thank you so much Aimee! Yes, we are spoiled for choice at this time of a year! I love it too:) x
Wow this looks so beautiful!! This will be an amazing recipe to try for a dinner party this time of year – such a show stopper! And the flavours sound incredible too :)
Thank you so much Gabriella for this lovely comment! Hope you like it if you get to make it:)
What adorable little squash! Such gorgeous colours in this recipe Hana and it sounds delicious too! It’s definitely an acceptable time of year to get into the Christmas spirit I think :) xx
Thank you so much Sasha! I usually only start thinking all things Christmas two weeks before the actual date, but now having a blog I have a good reason to be organized and jump in early:) xx
This is such a lovely festive recipe Hana, gorgeous photos too! The squash sounds and looks very tasty, lovely post Hana xxx
Thank you so much Michelle for stopping by and leaving such lovely comment! xxx
I’ve never been successful in roasting squash seeds in their outer casing, they are just fibrous and not crunchy
Hi Jan, mine got eventually crunchy, I kept them in the oven until they were crispy enough, just before they started turning brown.
Can this be made in advance? Is so how long in advance? Thanks so much!
Could they be any prettier? I love the festive feeling I get just by looking at them! :) Beautiful photos and what a yummy recipe!
Thank you so much Anna! You’re so right, these squashes were way too pretty! Makes it so much easier creating a recipe:) x
What are Aduki beans? Could I substitute or leave them out? Thanks in advance.
Andi k
Hi Andi, they are small red beans, sometimes also called adzuki. You can definitely leave them out or substitute them with chickpeas.
Can this be made in advance? Is so how long in advance? Thanks so much!
Hi Priscilla, I find that they taste the best freshly made and eaten right away. But you could certainly make them one day in advance and re-heat them in the oven before serving.
Can this be made with “pork” like beyond burger sausage? If so, what spices and augmentations do you recommend?
Hi Christine, do you mean a vegan style mince mix? If so, you could use fresh sage, rosemary and thyme for seasoning. It would go lovely with the squash.
Your photos and recipes are beautiful.
Thank you so much Cristina.