Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Hazelnuts and Sage
The flavors of fall come together in this quinoa dish to make a lovely Thanksgiving side dish. It is also a nice gluten free and dairy free alternative to traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. The sage, butternut squash and shallots work well together with the hazelnuts to create a pleasing combination of fall flavors.
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cups chicken or veggie stock (preferably organic)
- 2 large shallots (minced)
- 1 large garlic clove (thinly sliced)
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp Avocado oil or Olive Oil
- 2 cups butternut squash (diced small, approx. 1/2 medium squash)
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts (roasted and chopped)
- 5 large fresh sage leaves (chopped)
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- In a medium size sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil. Carefully add the rinsed quinoa to the hot stock and let it return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add all of the sliced garlic and one large minced shallot to the pot with the stock and quinoa. Season the quinoa with salt and pepper. Cover the pot tightly with a lid and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Once the quinoa is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and keep warm. Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat then add 2 tsp. of avocado oil or olive oil to the pan. Add the rest of the minced shallots to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and saute the shallot over medium high heat until translucent, approximately two minutes.
- Add the butternut squash to the pan and saute until tender and starting to brown, approximately 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the squash. (Small pieces of squash will cook faster than medium or large ones.)
- Once the squash is tender and starting to brown, lower the heat to medium low. Add the hazelnuts and chopped sage. Saute until the sage is dark green approximately 2 minutes.
- Remove the squash mixture from the heat and set aside.
Transfer the cooked, warm quinoa to a large serving bowl. Add the squash mixture to the quinoa and toss until well combined. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!