Savory Pumpkin Harvest Quinoa

Pumpkin comes over to the savory side in this hearty, healthy side dish with just enough bacon and cheese to make it feel a little decadent. Sweet roasted pumpkin joins onion, garlic, zucchini and kale (or hey, if you’re not into kale, sub spinach!) mixed with nutty quinoa, herbs and seasonings for a satisfying side dish that’s full of contrasting flavors, textures and colors.

I’m definitely on a pumpkin kick this year … and not the typical sweet pumpkin spice type things that we all seem to gravitate towards at this time of year. I really want to spend some more time on the savory side of pumpkin. Because that’s where things get really interesting.

I did some searching today for pumpkin recipes and ran across some fun savory takes on pumpkin:

• Pumpkin Shepherd’s Pie from Foodtastic Mom
• Creamy Cheesy Pumpkin Scalloped Potatoes from Cooking for Keeps
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Skillet Cornbread from Melanie Makes
• Cauliflower Pumpkin Risotto from Unbounded Wellness
• Paleo Rosemary Pumpkin Bread from Cotter Crunch
• Chipotle Pumpkin Veggie Burgers from Peas & Crayons

And of course there was pumpkin soup, pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin alfredo, a savory pumpkin pizza, and a pumpkin salsa … and SO many other interesting recipes that I can’t begin to share them all here. You might find some of them on my “Recipes I Want to Try” pinterest board. It’s really funny, I search around and save a bunch of pins for later, but I never seem to go back and actually LOOK at that pinterest board when I’m pondering what to cook until much, much later. Years later I go back to that board, looking for something I remembered I pinned ages ago, and it’s just not there anymore … and such is the life of a perpetual pinner with a very long food memory.

THIS dish, though. This I kind of came upon by accident, on my way to a different destination. I wanted to make a pumpkin version of my popular souffle cups, thinking chunks of roasted pumpkin would be quite yummy in a savory mini souffle. I started cooking … and once I had the mixture of things I wanted to put IN the souffle cups, I tasted it and thought, “hey, that’s really good!” … and I proceeded to make the souffle cups, but when I got to the end, I really wanted to take a couple steps back to get back to the quinoa mixture. Alas it was too late. Not that the souffle cups weren’t good, but well, my picky brain just wanted to rewind a little.

So I cooked up another pumpkin (stopping the cooking at that moment when the pumpkin is almost tender, but still a bit crisp) and also had to make some more quinoa before I could try it again, this time stopping at just the right moment. You guys, I am totally head over heels in love with this dish. I made it for a late lunch/dinner yesterday, took the photos and happily packaged up the rest for later. This morning I couldn’t wait to taste it again, so I had it for breakfast. I topped it off with an egg and some chopped avocado (because what isn’t better with avocado?) and that was marvelous too. And now I kind of want to eat it for dinner again tonight.

I think also this dish would be a fabulous side dish for Thanksgiving, or perhaps even a main dish for a vegetarian Thanksgiving (sans bacon). The quinoa adds a nice boost of fiber and protein, so it really is quite perfect as a main dish. I’m thinking maybe I’ll make it again to take along to the family gathering this Thanksgiving. It would be so nice to have a pre-made delicious dish all ready to serve. Things get kinda busy when everyone is there … it’s really nice to have some things already done.

To make the pumpkin for this dish, I started with a super-firm pie pumpkin that was a bit on the larger side. It was so firm it did NOT want me to cut it! So I ended up cutting a hole in the top and sticking the whole pumpkin in the oven at 350 F. for an hour. (I didn’t mean to leave it in that long because I wanted to catch it before it got fully cooked all the way through!) When I pulled the pumpkin out of the oven and it still wasn’t soft (which made me happy, because I wanted my pumpkin firmer for this dish). I was able to cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the inside, then peel off the skin and chop the crisp-tender pumpkin flesh into chunks for my yummy savory pumpkin quinoa.

I still have LOTS of pumpkin left after making my quinoa, so I’ll definitely be trying out more pumpkin recipes this season. If you’re a pumpkin-aholic like me, stay tuned! … (and in case you’re wondering, my daughter also has plans to make her soft, chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles again.)

Savory Bacon Pumpkin Quinoa

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 – 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• About 2 cups chopped zucchini
• About 2 cups chopped pumpkin or butternut squash, pre-roasted
• About 2 cups chopped kale leaves (ribs removed) or fresh spinach
• About 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, and tarragon work well)
• 2 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (for vegan, use vegan shreds)
• Red Robin Seasoning (or your favorite seasoned salt) and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or your favorite no-salt seasoning), to taste

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Instructions

1. In a large saute pan, cook the bacon, then remove the strips to a paper towel, cool and chop.
2. Add the butter or oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the zucchini and cook until the zucchini is crisp tender. Add the pumpkin and kale, cover and cook briefly until the kale is softened and the pumpkin is warmed.
4. Stir in the quinoa, herbs and cheese, then add seasonings to taste. Serve warm topped with extra crumbled bacon and cheese if desired.

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Notes

When you roast your pumpkin or squash, make sure to cook until it’s tender, but a little crisp as well, not mushy.

Can be made several days ahead of time and reheated at serving time either in the microwave or on the stovetop.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2019, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: About 1 cup
• Calories: 233
• Fat: 9.9

Looking for more pumpkin recipes?

Here are some favorites from the past.

Savory pumpkin recipes:

• Rosemary Sage Pumpkin Soup – choose the stovetop or Instant Pot recipe
• Pumpkin Cheddar Chipotle Cheese Dip
• Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (shaped like a pumpkin! So cute!)
• Curried Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
• How to Roast (and grow) the BEST Pumpkin Seeds

On the sweet side of pumpkin:

• Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
• Ginger Spice Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
• Pumpkin Pecan Baked Oat Bran
• Pumpkin Cake w/Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl
• Pumpkin Maple Amaretto Trifle
• Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Granola
• Sweet Harvest Pumpkin Ale Bread
• Pumpkin Amaretto Bread Pudding
• Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte