Name: Vegan Quinoa Butternut Squash Stuffing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups celery chopped (I use Josie's Organics); 1 cups butternut squash chopped; 1/2 large red onion chopped; 4 cups cooked quinoa; 3/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped; 1 tsp sage (dried); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1.5 tsp rosemary (dried); 1 tsp thyme (dried); 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 cup veggie broth

This vegan quinoa butternut squash stuffing is perfect for Thanksgiving if you want a bread-less version of your favorite holiday side-dish. I find a bread stuffing to be super heavy and I much prefer this quinoa version. It’s lighter and healthier but the best part is that it has the same great flavors of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. Yum!

Feel free to have both a bread stuffing on Thanksgiving as well as this vegan quinoa butternut squash stuffing.

How do you make vegan quinoa butternut squash stuffing?

First, chop all of the veggies. Cut the celery, butternut squash and onion pretty small otherwise they won’t cook. You can either pan-saute them or roast them, whatever you prefer!

Cook your quinoa and set aside. You need need 4 cups of cooked quinoa. You should make 1 cup of uncooked quinoa so you have enough for 4 cooked cups. Combine your veggies with the quinoa, add veggie broth, spices and parsley, then serve! This tastes a total of 30 minutes and is literally so easy to make. If you’re oil-free you can saute the veggies in veggie broth, if you aren’t, saute in olive oil. Either way will be delicious.

Why is it important to use organic produce?

I used the fresh organic celery for this vegan quinoa butternut squash stuffing from Josie’s Organics, an amazing all organic company that grows their produce in the fertile California Valley. Their family farming business dates back to the 1920’s, when two young Swiss immigrants, Sebastian and Josie Braga decided to start growing beets, tomatoes, onions, hay and corn.

Today, three generations later, the organic family farming tradition is being kept alive! Josie’s Organics harvests over 25 varieties of USDA certified organic veggies. I love their inspiring story and love supporting them by buying their produce!

Josie’s Organics doesn’t use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their farms. This is so important! If I see Josie’s Organics in the grocery store, I snatch it up real quick because it’s truly such fresh produce. You can find their produce at stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts and many more. Be sure to look out for Josie’s Organics in your local store! Use their store locator here!

My onion and butternut squash is also organic!

Does this quinoa stuffing taste like regular bread stuffing?

Yes! It has the same flavors as traditional bread stuffing so this is very reminiscent of your classic stuffing. The famous Thanksgiving spices that give this dish it’s flavor include: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The celery in this stuffing also gives it a very delicious flavor. The butternut squash adds heartiness and the onion adds so much flavor. Your guests will be thoroughly impressed with this, I promise! AND, they will beg you to make it every year.

What makes this stuffing healthy?

This vegan butternut squash quinoa stuffing is 100% plant-based, gluten-free friendly, oil-free optional, soy-free and dairy-free. It’s super high in plant-protein, gut-healthy fiber, and minerals from the quinoa such as iron, magnesium and manganese. The butternut squash offers beta-carotene, large amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C (which we all need right now!).

This is much easier on digestion than bread stuffing. White bread is very low in fiber and can cause digestive issues and constipation. Quinoa’s high fiber nature is much better for gut health and is higher in vitamins and minerals. The parsley in this is also great for your liver! It’s a win-win.

Will my non-vegan friends and family like this?

The short answer is, YES. Most definitely. Everyone will enjoy this quinoa stuffing because it has such great flavor and it goes well with any other Thanksgiving dish you’re going to be making. I have made this recipe for both vegans and non-vegans and I have gotten thumbs ups from everyone who’s tried it. My meat-eating father-in-law gobbled it up and he still can’t believe how delicious it tastes.

My fiance used to be a huge meat eater and he LOVES this dish as stuffing is his favorite Thanksgiving food.

Other Thanksgiving recipes to pair with this stuffing:

What’s the best way to store this stuffing?

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer. This will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days maximum. It actually will freeze very well. To reheat simply saute in a pan! The reheated leftovers are just as delicious as the first day you make this. I love eating this all winter long. You don’t just have to make this on Thanksgiving. Meal prep it and keep it in the freezer for easy weekly lunches or dinners. Add chickpeas or some other protein to make this a more complete meal.

A few important tips:

Feel free to saute or roast the veggies in this stuffing
Cook the quinoa ahead of time! Only mix cooked quinoa with the veggies
Cook 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to yield 4 cooked cups
Toss the stuffing with the fresh parsley when it’s completely done cooking

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