Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Creating the Recipe
• Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing Ingredients
• How to Make It
• Tips for Success
• More Stuffing Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

This totally delicious wild rice quinoa stuffing recipe is a completely vegan AND gluten-free stuffing. Perfect for when you have vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-freers at the table, but you want to serve food that EVERYONE will love. This one fits the bill!

I first shared this wild rice stuffing here five years ago and it’s been one of my top-viewed Thanksgiving recipes ever since.

Stuffing is indeed one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. Buttery, crunchy chunks of bread – what’s not to love? But sometimes it’s nice to shake things up a bit.

So I thought I’d create a rice-based, gluten-free stuffing with all of the traditional stuffing flavors we love. Something that’s a little more dense and hearty – a vegetarian (and vegan!) stuffing that’s naturally gluten-free, too.

Why not cover all of the dietary bases while also making something everyone will no doubt clamor for? That was my goal here.

Creating the Recipe

We have a wild rice blend – I used a half-and-half blend of wild rice and brown rice. And quinoa – a nice bit of hearty protein added to the mix so that this stuffing can also double as a main dish for those that prefer to skip the turkey.

The rice and quinoa simmer with tart apples, vegetables, veggie broth, and a splash of wine on the stovetop until tender. Then in go a few handfuls of herbs, dried cranberries, and crunchy pecans.

I have to give a shout-out to Michelle, here. She is my hairstylist and friend, and I told her I wasn’t quite happy enough with this recipe. She suggested dried cranberries for texture and another touch of sweet flavor, and it totally did the trick.

So after stirring in those bits of deliciousness, you scoop it all into a casserole dish and bake. The flavors meld and bits of rice on the tops and edges get all irresistibly crunchy. Just like a good stuffing should.

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing Ingredients

• Olive oil – For greasing the baking dish and for sautéing all of those delicious veggies and other ingredients.
• Onion – I use a standard yellow onion.
• Celery – In my opinion, celery is nearly as essential as sage in a good stuffing recipe. But if you hate celery, it’s okay to leave it out.
• Apples – Go with a tart apple that will keep its shape like Granny Smith.
• Garlic – Adds so much flavor (don’t skip it!)
• Thyme – I like to use fresh thyme, but if you don’t have it, you can use half the quantity of dried thyme.
• Salt – asdf
• Wine – A dry white wine adds immense flavor. Grab one you’ll want to drink, too. I like Sauvignon Blanc or dry Chardonnay here.
• Vegetable broth – Grab a box from the store or make your own vegetable broth.
• Wild rice blend – Go with whatever mix you can find. I try to find a 50% brown rice and 50% wild rice blend, but I know that exact mix may be hard to find. And if you’re needing a 100% gluten-free stuffing, pay careful attention to the ingredients here, because sometimes wild rice blends contain pasta.
• Quinoa – Don’t forget to rinse it off before using it! Quinoa is coated with a substance known as saponins. They can lend bitter flavor if not rinsed off.
• Dried cranberries
• Pecans
• Parsley – Both for flavor inside the wild rice stuffing and for garnish to make it look extra pretty!
• Fresh sage – I call for 1/4 cup of fresh sage leaves. I did have one reader who thought this was too much; if you’re not sure, you can start with half that quantity which will still add lots of lovely sage flavor.

How to Make It

1. First, you’ll saute the veggies then cook the wild rice and quinoa in a pot. Add the cranberries, pecans, and herbs.
2. Pile the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish, leveling it out but not mashing it down.
3. Bake until warmed through and golden brown. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with chopped parsley. That’s it!

Tips for Success

• When transferring the wild rice stuffing from the pot to baking dish, lightly pile it – don’t smash it down! This helps maintain a light and fluffy texture.
• Make ahead: Prep this herbed quinoa and wild rice stuffing up to 3 days ahead of time by assembling it up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake, then proceed with the recipe.

I hope this Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice stuffing is a huge hit at your holiday table (or anytime!) It’s one that we’ve made time and again around here – definitely a beloved vegan + gluten free stuffing option.

Print

Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

Specked with fresh herbs, apples, cranberries, and pecans, everyone will love this flavor-filled stuffing – and nobody will guess its little secret: it's vegetarian, vegan, AND gluten-free! Plus, the addition of protein-rich quinoa gives this hearty stuffing main-dish cred – perfect for those that prefer to skip the turkey.

Course Side Dish

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword gluten free stuffing, quinoa dressing, quinoa stuffing, rice dressing, rice stuffing, vegan stuffing, wild rice dressing, wild rice stuffing

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 461kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for greasing the baking dish + more for drizzling over the top
• 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped [about 1/2 cup]
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples peeled and diced
• 2 medium cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/2 cup dry-ish white wine I like Sauv Blanc for both cooking and drinking; Chardonnay would work well too
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups uncooked wild rice blend* I prefer a blend of 50% wild rice and 50% brown rice
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed well
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1 cup raw pecans chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley + 1/4 cup more for topping after baking
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves minced

Instructions

• Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Stir in wine, then add broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in the wild rice blend and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and cover again. Cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 more minutes. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, 1/2 cup parsley, and sage. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a large (9-inch x 13-inch is best) casserole dish with a little olive oil. Lightly scoop the rice mixture into the casserole dish, lightly mounding it instead of mashing it down.
• Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley. Serve.

Notes

Wild Rice/Gluten-Free Note

Some wild rice blends contain pasta, so if you need a 100% gluten free stuffing, please be careful about the blend you choose!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg

More Stuffing Recipes

• Cornbread Stuffing
• Vegan Buttery Herb Stuffing
• Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Stuffing
• Sourdough Herb Stuffing

Originally posted Nov. 3, 2015

The post Herbed Quinoa & Wild Rice Stuffing appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

This vegan stuffed delicata squash makes for the perfect transitional side. And by transitional I mean it can be a side for the meat-eaters but easily transition into a main dish for the vegan and vegetarian folks. (I also call these substantial sides or meal-worthy sides because apparently it is in my nature to be wildly inconsistent. Either way: Super-handy for multi-vore households!)

After all, they say Thanksgiving is all about the sides. And as someone who doesn’t partake in turkey, it’s safe to say that I agree. This stuffed delicata squash side dish is one that I’m pretty excited about, too; with wild rice, lentils, and cranberries, it hits all the right marks.  

This stuffed delicata squash recipe uses one of my favorite winter squashes to cook with, delicata squash. I’ve had these things in bowls, baskets, rolling around on my kitchen counter, and roasting in my oven all season long. Love the things, just love ’em. 

This stuffed delicata squash might be my application so far.

What is Delicata Squash?

If you’re new to Delicata Squash, I thought I’d share a bit about it here. It’s one of my faves! (By the way, I love squash so much, I recently launched a whole new website about it. For real!)

Delicata squash is a delicious winter squash that has really exploded in popularity over the past decade or so.

Pale to bright yellow in hue with green or orange vertical stripes, delicata squash’s small, oblong shape is similar to that of a chubby zucchini. Delicata, though, is a winter squash (zucchini is a summer squash).

Inside, delicata squash is a pale orange. The squash is creamy, light, and, well, delicate in taste – if Sweet Potato Lite was such a thing, delicata would taste a lot like that.

One of the best things about delicata squash is that the skin is great for eating – it’s thin and a bit chewy when cooked. Being able to leave the skin on makes for a prettier presentation – and whole a lot less preparation. Win!

How to Make It

Half and de-seed your delicata squash, brush with olive oil, and place the oven to roast. While that’s happening? Whip up a your hearty wild rice pilaf, amped up with French green lentils, flavored with curry powder and cumin, and dotted with dried cranberries and pecans. Yess.

Once your pilaf is done and your squash is roasted, just fill in your little squash boats, sprinkle with parsley, and away you go. 

Can’t you just see this on your Thanksgiving table? 

Oh and did I mention these bad boys are vegan AND gluten-free? Perfect for when you have guests with special diets – just cover ’em all in one swoop. Well, and if you have anyone with nut allergies coming to the table, you could totally leave those out too – this dish is still plenty delicious without. 

Print

Wild Rice & Lentil Stuffed Delicata Squash with Cranberries & Pecans

Wild rice pilaf heartied up with lentils, flavored with curry spices and cumin, and dotted with sweet dried cranberries and crunchy pecans – all served up in delicious roasted delicata squash halves. Yum!

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 348kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 3/4 cup wild rice blend rinsed well
• 2 medium cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 teaspoons curry powder to taste*
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup French green lentils rinsed
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

For the squash:

• 3 delicata squash stems cut off, halved vertically, seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish:

• A few leaves of fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Make the pilaf. Set a large saute pan with lid (or a medium dutch oven) over low heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until a few pieces of the rice start to get golden on the ends, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon curry powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
• Add 3 cups of the vegetable broth, the brown sugar, and the lentils. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, stir, and cover. Set the timer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture begins to get too dry before being cooked all of the way, add additional broth. If the mixture seems too wet after cooking for awhile, vent the pan to help some of the liquid evaporate. I’ve found making the pilaf is not an exact science as each pan is different, so just monitor your pilaf as it cooks. Pilaf is done when it’s relatively dry and the lentils and rice are tender, about 40 minutes.
• Remove pilaf from heat and stir the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Taste and add the remaining teaspoon of curry powder and more salt and pepper if you wish.
• Meanwhile, while the pilaf cooks, prepare the delicata squash. Cut the stems off the ends, half lengthwise, scrape the seeds out with a spoon, and brush the inside of each half with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until fork-tender and golden around the edges. Remove from oven.
• When ready to serve, flip over the delicata squash and spoon pilaf into the squash halves. I like to mound it just a bit but not too much or serving will become interesting (as in messy). You may have some pilaf left over. Transfer to serving plate and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3362IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Wild Rice Stuffed Delicata Squash with Cranberries & Pecans appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.