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Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)

November 9, 2016 By Hana 23 Comments

Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)

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.

Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)

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:)

Love Hxx

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Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)

Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)
 
Print
Author: Hana, Nirvana Cakery
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400F)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Roast the walnuts for about 10 minutes until fragrant.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Stir the mixture into the cooked quinoa, add roughly chopped walnuts, chopped fresh parsley and season to taste.
  8. Stuff each of the squash with the mixture and place back into the oven for 10 more minutes to warm through before serving.
  9. Top with pomegranate, fresh parsley, thyme and freshly roasted squash seeds.
  10. Enjoy!
3.5.3226

 

Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and PomegranateQuinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate (gluten-free & vegan)

 

Filed Under: All, Dairy free, Gluten free, Lunch and Dinner, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Teresa Franke says

    November 9, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 9, 2016 at 9:41 pm

      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

      Reply
  2. Aimee | Wallflower Kitchen says

    November 9, 2016 at 11:55 pm

    Such a beautiful, wholesome, comforting recipe! Love this time of year for food.

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 10, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Thank you so much Aimee! Yes, we are spoiled for choice at this time of a year! I love it too:) x

      Reply
  3. Gabriella @ Putumayo Kitchen says

    November 10, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    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 :)

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 11, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      Thank you so much Gabriella for this lovely comment! Hope you like it if you get to make it:)

      Reply
  4. Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says

    November 11, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 11, 2016 at 7:50 pm

      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

      Reply
  5. Michelle @ The Last Food Blog says

    November 11, 2016 at 8:53 pm

    This is such a lovely festive recipe Hana, gorgeous photos too! The squash sounds and looks very tasty, lovely post Hana xxx

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 14, 2016 at 8:04 pm

      Thank you so much Michelle for stopping by and leaving such lovely comment! xxx

      Reply
  6. Jan says

    November 16, 2016 at 9:51 pm

    I’ve never been successful in roasting squash seeds in their outer casing, they are just fibrous and not crunchy

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:16 am

      Hi Jan, mine got eventually crunchy, I kept them in the oven until they were crispy enough, just before they started turning brown.

      Reply
      • Priscilla says

        November 27, 2017 at 3:09 am

        Can this be made in advance? Is so how long in advance? Thanks so much!

        Reply
  7. Anna says

    November 20, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    Could they be any prettier? I love the festive feeling I get just by looking at them! :) Beautiful photos and what a yummy recipe!

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 20, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Thank you so much Anna! You’re so right, these squashes were way too pretty! Makes it so much easier creating a recipe:) x

      Reply
  8. Andi Kunkel says

    October 24, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    What are Aduki beans? Could I substitute or leave them out? Thanks in advance.

    Andi k

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 5, 2017 at 10:28 pm

      Hi Andi, they are small red beans, sometimes also called adzuki. You can definitely leave them out or substitute them with chickpeas.

      Reply
  9. Priscilla says

    November 27, 2017 at 3:06 am

    Can this be made in advance? Is so how long in advance? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 27, 2017 at 9:35 pm

      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.

      Reply
  10. Christine says

    November 17, 2018 at 12:03 am

    Can this be made with “pork” like beyond burger sausage? If so, what spices and augmentations do you recommend?

    Reply
    • Hana says

      November 17, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      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.

      Reply
  11. Cristina says

    December 6, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    Your photos and recipes are beautiful.

    Reply
    • Hana says

      December 9, 2018 at 10:10 pm

      Thank you so much Cristina.

      Reply

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Hello and a warm welcome to Nirvana Cakery! My name is Hana and I am a mum in my mid-forties. I am here to bring you wholesome plant-based inspiration. Read my story.

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Hana xx
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