Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing

Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe

 The Spruce

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This holiday season, try a unique vegetarian quinoa stuffing recipe the whole family will enjoy. With all the traditional stuffing herbs and flavors, this quinoa stuffing smells heavenly while roasting in the oven, plus it has the added bonus of adding some protein to your vegetarian or vegan menu.

If you follow a vegan diet, be sure to use vegan margarine instead of butter to make this recipe vegan.

Not the holidays yet? Who says you have to wait all year for your favorite comfort foods, anyway? Keep this recipe handy for a simple side dish for any meal when you have leftover quinoa on hand. And of course, if you're not vegetarian, it's still a great stuffing to have alongside turkey or a roasted chicken, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa

  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 1 stalk celery, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 cup seitan, finely chopped, optional

  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or vegan margarine

  • 1 teaspoon thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon sage

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 slices bread, dried or lightly toasted, cubed

  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat oven to 375 F.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe ingredients
     The Spruce
  2. In a medium saucepan, simmer quinoa in 2 1/4 cups of the vegetable broth and bay leaves until done, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
    The Spruce 
  3. In a large skillet, sauté onions, celery, seitan, and garlic in butter or vegan margarine until almost soft.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
    The Spruce 
  4. Add mushrooms and heat a few more minutes, until onions are clear and mushrooms are soft.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
    The Spruce 
  5. Add thyme, sage, salt, and pepper, stirring quickly just to lightly coat and toast the spices.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
     The Spruce
  6. Reduce heat to low and add cubed bread and nuts, stirring to combine well.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
     The Spruce
  7. Add more vegetable broth until bread is well moistened.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
     The Spruce
  8. Add quinoa and gently toss to combine well.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
    The Spruce 
  9. Transfer to a casserole or baking dish, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
     The Spruce
  10. Serve and enjoy.

    Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffing Recipe
    The Spruce

Recipe Variations

Quinoa works great, too, if you are feeding anyone at your table who follows a gluten-free diet because of celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. To make this recipe gluten free, use cornbread or another gluten-free bread instead of regular bread.

How do you reduce the bitterness in quinoa?

Quinoa, when cooked, can sometimes have a bitter taste, but it's easy to remedy that. All you need to do is place the quinoa in a strainer and run it under cold water for about a minute, until the water runs clear. Proceed as directed in your recipe.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
224 Calories
12g Fat
25g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 224
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 834mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 257mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)