Quinoa with butternut & other fun stuff
By Tali Simon | March 14, 2012
This was supposed to be an entirely different recipe.
Like, a stew. The butternut was going to be pureed. There was going to be milk to make it creamy. The spices were going to be all different.
But as I re-read the recipe that had sounded great a few weeks ago, it hit me: There was no way I would actually like it.
Because what it really sounded like was quinoa mush. Bleh.
So I made up something better.
I wanted bite-size pieces of squash. Squash that still looked like squash (no offense to this guy, which I love without reservation). I wanted lots of colors, not just one. And no milk. Not in this dish.
I love the result.
This is one of those wholesome, hearty, feel-good dinners. The quinoa and butternut complement each other so nicely, and the other fun stuff (perfectly sauteed onions and zucchini, a few spoonfuls of tomato paste, a dash of soy sauce) make it even better.
When you’ve been munching on junk food from mishloach manot all week (what? me?), you really need a meal like this.
No guilt. Feels great. Fills you up. Tastes…beautiful.
Yeah, that’s right! It tastes beautiful.
Yield: 4 large servings
Ingredients
- 1½ cups quinoa
- 1¾ cups water
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small zucchinis, peeled and diced
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
Directions
1. Boil water in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, stir lightly, and turn flame to low. Let simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
2. As quinoa cooks, put up a second pot of boiling water and cook squash over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender (careful not to overcook). Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet and saute onion, garlic, and zucchini over medium/low heat until they just begin to brown, stirring every few minutes.
4. Mix tomato paste into quinoa until fully incorporated. Add butternut and sauteed veggies and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, then add soy sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot or warm.
5 Comments
Ilana on March 15, 2012 at 6:34 pm.
Made it for dinner tonight and it was awesome!!
Tali Simon on March 15, 2012 at 7:01 pm.
Yay!
ofira on March 16, 2012 at 12:00 am.
I made this and it was delish. I ended up roasting th butternut squash in the oven cause it tastes sweeter that way. And I added some chopped baby bella mushrooms that really needed to get out of my fridge. Also added some hot sauce to the sauteed mixture to amp up the heat. Amazing dish!!
Tali Simon on March 17, 2012 at 11:58 pm.
Roasting the squash is such a great touch. Boiling is my time-saver, but I always love the flavor that roasting bring out.
Tzirelchana on March 20, 2012 at 12:25 pm.
Hi Tali,
Sorry I made the changes. This quinoa butternut squash thing sounds so much like my cooking—not the stuff I blog about but stuff I do at home and have done. Not fattening healthy and great photos. Can’t wait to try it. Best