30 minute, from start to finish, healthy meatless dinner idea. Light and fluffy quinoa in a sweet Parmesan pumpkin sauce with fresh baby spinach. This pumpkin quinoa was so easy and delicious!
I’m on a major pumpkin kick this year because I love how it adds volume to desserts with so many health benefits and flavour: healthy pumpkin pie, healthy pumpkin bread, and flourless pumpkin muffins. I have never made a savoury dish with pumpkin though and I love quinoa.
It doesn’t get easier than cooking quinoa using stovetop or Instant Pot. Leftover quinoa is perfect for this recipe. I also try to freeze cooked quinoa in batches whenever I can.
Then saute onion and garlic – a combo that never fails me. Add pumpkin puree and chicken stock, and simmer. Add Parmesan, then quinoa and spinach. Done – pumpkin quinoa. Delish and easy, right?!
Parmesan Pumpkin and Spinach Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked (3 + 1/2 cups cooked quinoa)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup 1.5 oz Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Cook quinoa using stovetop or Instant Pot method for perfect results. Set aside.
- In the meanwhile, preheat large deep skillet on low - medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and garlic, saute until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin puree, chicken stock, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes uncovered.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Remove from heat and add quinoa and spinach. Stir gently to combine. Adjust thickness with extra chicken stock if desired. I like my quinoa saucy and hot. Because of Parmesan cheese, liquid separation with time is normal. Just give it a good stir. Serve hot.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 - 4 days.
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes anywhere including social media, print and all world wide web. Nutritional info is provided for informational purposes only and to the best knowledge.
Did you try this recipe?
Follow @ifoodreal on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #ifoodreal. Show me what you are making!
Hello and welcome to iFOODreal.
My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys, a wife to Alex and we reside on magical Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This is our healthy family recipes blog. Originally from Ukraine, I grew up on real food. As an adult, I struggled with diets for years because none worked long-term. Now for over 10 years, I cook easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.