Wholesome Quinoa Stuffed Pumpkin Pots

Celebrate the colorful autumn season by this beautiful centrepiece stuffed pumpkin for dinner or an appetizer. The combination of flavors, and the additional of spices and herbs will make this stuffed gourds a hit and make everyone adoring the sight!

What an amazing recipe to eat nutritious gourds. It’s so healthy, easy and it looks so gourmet and presentable! What’s amazing is that the recipe is so versatile and can be used in salads or eaten on its own. I feel like these are so filling that you can share one between two people.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is such a lovely grain that can be boiled, steamed and baked. It can also takes on any flavor that you use with it.

Please refer to this recipe if you want to learn how to make it properly. It has fewer calories than rice. It is a complete protein and contains all the essential amino acids. It also is a great source of magnesium. Here’s a few health benefits if you want to read up on it.

How to prepare these pumpkin pots

• Start off with your beautifully picked pumpkin.

• Preheat the oven to 400F, cut the gourd across the top carefully and discard the insides. You want the tops to be thin so you’re not cutting too much of the gourd but thick enough that it can cover the tops of your bottoms and look lie a “lid”. The seeds may be tiny and not taste the same as the big seeds but you can also try it out.
• Before you begin, just like prepping a muffin tray, brush your insides of your gourd with a bit of olive oil infused with salt and spices like garlic powder or onion powder.

• Bake the gourds separately as you prepare the quinoa. I would do 20-25 minutes until it’s super soft and tender with a fork. It’s not yummy to eat a baked gourd that is undercooked!
• Some packages insist on not having to rinse the quinoa before cooking. I typically like to soak the it for an hour or two just so it can be easier to cook and be more digestible.

• Boil your water and add the spices when boiling and add quinoa. Let it cook until fluffy. When it’s almost done cooking, add in the vegan cheeze. It will make everything stick and delicious like “real” cheese can.

• Once cooled, add in your other ingredients and check for flavor like salt, lemon and other spices.

• Spoon it into the gourds and add your fun garnishes!

Let’s talk stuffing these pumpkins!

The stuffing for this dish is delicious, packed with flavor, and lots of texture!

The base for it is boiled quinoa and then I mix in all the vegetables, spices, and toppings to elevate it into a yummy mixture. It compliments the baked gourd so well!

The stuffing comprises of:

• Boiled quinoa
• Vegetable broth and cubes for lots of flavor
• Greens – mixed greens, spinach, and parsley for a lovely pop of colour and freshness
• Toppings – dried cranberries, seeds, chickpeas, and vegan cheeze
• Lemon juice

Substitutions/add ons to your stuffing

Vegetables

Mushrooms – I find that mushrooms go so well with savoury dishes like this one. You can slice them thinly and add them to your quinoa or pan fry them and add them like croutons. You can also dice them thinly and add them to your quinoa while boiling.

Shallots/purple onions: Shallots are such a tame and mild version of an onion. I think this would pair perfect with your stuffed gourds. I also love purple onions which had a sweet savoury taste. You could caramelize your onions and sprinkle them on top of your recipe or dice them and add them into the pot while your quinoa is boiling.

Greens: I think kale and spinach would also be a perfect addition. I would add it in while cooking. It’ll add a nice color and also add some yummy nutrients.

Red peppers: adds a pop of color and an extra little crunch if you place it later in the boil or a softer texture if you add it to the beginning.

Herbs

Parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano are all good herbs to sprinkle on top. I would do parsley and cilantro fresh and chop them up and the basil and oregano dried.

Seeds

I chose pumpkin seeds but you can also go with pine nuts or slivered almonds. For dried fruits I think I only like cranberries but you can put fresh diced apples or pears. I wouldn’t boil these, however, and I would put these fresh and cut up after its cooked and cooled.

Cheeze

I wouldn’t skip out on the vegan cheeze as it adds more flavor to the recipe. If you really don’t have it then consider adding nutritional yeast or more salt/spices.

Squash

If you don’t find any mini pumpkins, you could use acorn squash or any other gourds that are suitable for eating.

Grains

If you don’t like quinoa you could use farro, barley, orzo or rice. Anything that makes you want to dig into that pot faster!

Protein

You can substitute shredded or diced tofu into this recipe too. It would be such a filling and delicious way to get your protein! I would marinate and either grill or air fry the tofu and add it in after its fully cooked.

How to store this recipe

If you just have the quinoa then just place it in a seal tight container for up to 4 days. Quinoa is best eaten fresh as after a few days it can get stale and start to smell/taste bad. If you have a couple of stuffed pumpkins they should be consumed within 2 days. Leftovers should be sealed in an airtight container and reheated in an oven or a toaster oven until warmed through.

Other Fall Recipes to try

Creamy and Easy Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

Autumn Nourish Salad with Pumpkin and Kale