Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa
A vibrant, seasonal vegetarian main course featuring tender roasted acorn squash filled with a delightful mix of fluffy quinoa, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and aromatic herbs. It's a perfect blend of savory and sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 medium acorn squash halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 0.5 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 0.5 small onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 0.25 cup dried cranberries
- 0.25 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 0.5 teaspoon fresh sage chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- to taste salt
- - black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Brush the cut sides of the acorn squash halves with 0.5 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until tender.
- While squash roasts, rinse quinoa thoroughly. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
- In a skillet, heat the remaining 0.5 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, sautéed onions and celery, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once squash is roasted, carefully flip the halves over. Spoon the quinoa mixture evenly into the hollows of each squash half.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the filling is heated through. Serve warm.
Notes
For an extra layer of flavor, drizzle the squash halves with a little maple syrup before roasting. You can also add chopped apples or a touch of cinnamon to the quinoa mixture. This dish can be made ahead and reheated.