You won’t miss the bread in this delicious, super healthy, Vegetable Quinoa Stuffing. It’s a great alternative to a typical stuffing or any side dish.
I was looking for a stuffing recipe or side dish for a Passover seder, ready to buy some matzo farfel or matzo meal as the foundation. Suddenly I remembered that quinoa is now acceptable during Passover since it is not actually a grain (much to my surprise). I only discovered this last year.
So I decided to try a stuffing with quinoa instead of bread or matzo. It turned out great! I loaded it with vegetables, including little diced sweet potatoes, so it’s really healthy and filling enough to be served as a main dish for a vegetarian (like my daughter, the other kook). I used the same seasonings used in most stuffing recipes – thyme and sage – and served it with sliced roast chicken and gravy. Yum! And it only takes about 30 minutes to make.
I will definitely be making this again. I’m now dreaming of variations – I’ve listed a few below. This stuffing would also be a perfect accompaniment to turkey, pork, fish or lamb. And, as I mentioned, great on its own for the vegetarians at your table.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Use butternut squash instead of sweet potato
- Some great additions
- 1-2 cups chopped mushrooms
- raisins, chopped dates or prunes
- diced fresh apple or mango – add just before serving
- Add some crunch with chopped canned water chestnuts
- For a non vegetarian version and smokey flavor, add diced hot dog or sausage while sauteing the vegetables
- uUse 1-2 teaspoons curry powder (with raisins) instead of sage and thyme
Shortcut for Quinoa Stuffing/Dressing
- To save time chopping and dicing, pulse vegetables in the processor a few times.
Make Ahead
- This recipe can be made ahead and warmed in the oven or microwave.
Vegetable Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (3 cups)
- 2 red peppers, cored and diced (2 cups)
- 1 onion, diced (2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced (1 1/2 cups)
- 2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach, stems removed
- 1 tsp EACH: salt, thyme, sage (or poultry seasoning)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup coursely chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- MAKE QUINOA: Place rinsed quinoa, salt and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- SAUTE VEGETABLES: While quinoa is cooking, in a large skillet, heat oil to medium high. Saute onion, sweet potatoes, celery, peppers for about 10-12 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add spinach, garlic and seasonings. Cook, stirring for another 2 minutes until spinach has wilted.
- FINISH STUFFING: Add quinoa and toss to combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a bit more oil if needed. Sprinkle nuts if using and serve immediately.
Notes
Here are two other stuffing recipes you might like:
Homemade Vegetarian Stovetop Stuffing
