Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

It really shouldn’t surprise you that I’m posting a pumpkin recipe this week, with 3 1/2 pounds of homemade pumpkin puree in my refrigerator. ‘Tis the season, I suppose.

Actually, this pumpkin quinoa is one of my favorite savory dishes. I made it a lot last year and was waiting for the weather to get cool to start making it again. The earthiness from the pumpkin combined with herbs makes for an irresistibly savory and comforting dish that’s perfect served hot on a cold night.

If you don’t have herbes de Provence on hand, you can use a mixture of savory herbs that you do have such as equal parts thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Method:

1. Wash and drain the quinoa. Combine it with 2 1/4 cups of fresh water in a pot and bring it to a boil.
2. Cover the quinoa with a lid and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb the water and cook.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, bring the oil up to heat in a large pan over a burner set to medium-high.
4. Once the oil is hot, add in the pepper and onion and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper slightly charred.
5. Once the quinoa is done cooking, add in the pumpkin puree, onion, pepper, salt, and herbs. Mix thoroughly and heat it back up if the quinoa has cooled at all. Serve hot.

Comfort food is usually something you grew up with; I never grew up eating quinoa, but this is definitely comfort food. It reminds me of a thick risotto. If you want you can add nutritional yeast, parmesan, or shredded cheddar to give it a sharp, cheesy flavor and make something reminiscent of mac n’ cheese.