• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Marin Mama Cooks

Tasty foods for families

  • home
  • Recipes
    • Recipes Index
    • beverages
    • breakfast
    • lunch
    • after school snacks
    • dinner
      • burgers & patties
      • chicken
      • meats
      • meatless meals
      • Mexican
      • Pastas
      • pizza
      • seafood
    • side dishes
      • breads and grains
      • popovers
      • potatoes
      • salsas
      • sauces
      • veggie burgers and patties
      • Veggies
    • Desserts
      • brownies and bars
      • cakes and cupcakes
      • chocolate
      • Cookies
      • pies and tarts
    • meatless meals
    • salads
    • dressings
    • Soups
    • smoothies & juices
    • family favorites
    • most popular recipes
    • weeknight dinners
    • kale
    • Quinoa
    • weekly dinner menu
  • how to
  • random
  • videos
  • about me
  • work with me

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds

November 20, 2013 by Marin Mama 31 Comments

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almondsSome of you who have followed my blog from the beginning may recognize this recipe, as it’s one of the first ones I posted on the blog.  I decided to re-post it as I made a few changes to the recipe and updated all the photos, plus I feel like it’s a wonderful recipe to share with you all this time of year as acorn squash is in season and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  This is a great meatless alternative for Thanksgiving or you can serve these up as a healthy side dish.  You can even make these vegan by adding nutritional yeast in lieu of the feta.

The squash paired with the quinoa is truly a complete meal and the presentation on these is just gorgeous. Serve these up to your guests for lunch or dinner, and they will be impressed.  Please don’t be intimated by this recipe, it’s seriously super easy to put together.  The only difficult part is cutting the squash in half.  You can even omit the squash and just make up the quinoa, as the quinoa is great on its own. Basically you have choices here peeps!

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds:

recipe adapted from Whole Living
serves 4-8 – depending on how many squashes you buy – see my notes below 

Note: I used 1 large acorn squash here. I did make the full batch of quinoa though, as the leftovers are great for lunch throughout the week. If you don’t want that much leftover quinoa, then just half the quinoa portion of the recipe.

  • 2-4 small acorn squashes, halved and seeds removed – If you’re serving 2 people get 1 squash, 4 people then get 2 squashes, 8 people then get 4 squashes.  The quinoa makes enough to fill 8 small squash halves.  You could even use 1 large butternut squash here and fill that up with the quinoa. I used one squash and had the leftover quinoa for lunch sans the squash. 
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing on the squash
  • fine and coarse sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed – I love this brand of quinoa from Quinoa corporation as it’s pre-rinsed.
  • 1 3/4 cups filtered water
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

 ingredeints for acorn stuffed squashPreheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a sharp chef’s knife, carefully cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to tip. The squash can rock back and forth, so take care as you are cutting it.

Scoop out all the seeds and membranes, using either a spoon or a melon baller.

Brush each squash half with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

cutting up an acorn squashRoast the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, until tender when pierced with a fork, and caramelized, about 15-25 minutes.  It may take longer or shorter, depending on the size of your squash.  I had a larger acorn squash, so it took mine about 25 minutes.

DSC_0022roasted squashWhile the squash is cooking, place quinoa along with 1 3/4 cups filtered water and a big pinch of coarse sea salt in a pot set over high heat. Bring quinoa to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa’s germs look like lots of little spirals, about 12-15 minutes.

Turn off heat, place a dry clean paper towel between the pot and lid, and let quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.perfectly cooked quinoaWhile the quinoa and squash are cooking, chop the parsley and toast up the almonds.

Note: You can also toast up the almonds ahead to time to save a step.  Just store them in covered container till you’re ready to use them.

 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat.  Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots and the nuts are fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the oil. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine sea salt. Set them aside to cool.

toasting chopped almonds in olvie oilIn a large bowl, combine together the quinoa, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup feta, almonds, 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

quinoa with toasted almonds and chopped parsleyFill up your squash halves with the quinoa and dig in.

acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almondsGot leftover quinoa?  Just reheat it in a skillet with a touch of coconut oil, or just eat it cold.

5 from 1 reviews
acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds
 
Save Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Note: I used 1 large acorn squash here. I did make the full batch of quinoa though, as the leftovers are great for lunch throughout the week. If you don't want that much leftover quinoa, then just half the quinoa portion of the recipe.
Author: Marin mama cooks
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2-4 small acorn squashes, halved and seeds removed - If you're serving 2 people get 1 squash, 4 people then get 2 squashes, 8 people then get 4 squashes. The quinoa makes enough to fill 8 small squash halves. You could even use 1 large butternut squash here and fill that up with the quinoa. I used one squash and had the leftover quinoa for lunch sans the squash.
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing on the squash
  • fine and coarse sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed - I love this brand of quinoa from Quinoa corporation.
  • 1¾ cups filtered water
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup feta, crumbled
  • ½ cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Using a sharp chef's knife, carefully cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to tip. The squash can rock back and forth, so take care as you are cutting it.
  3. Scoop out all the seeds and membranes, using either a spoon or a melon baller.
  4. Brush each squash half with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Roast the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, until tender when pierced with a fork and caramelized, about 15-25 minutes. It may take longer or shorter, depending on the size of your squash. I had a larger acorn squash, so it took mine about 25 minutes.
  6. While the squash is cooking, place quinoa along with 1¾ cups filtered water and a big pinch of coarse sea salt in a pot set over high heat. Bring quinoa to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa's germs look like lots of little spirals, about 12-15 minutes.
  7. Turn off heat, place a dry clean paper towel between the pot and lid, and let quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.
  8. While the quinoa and squash are cooking, chop the parsley and toast up the almonds. Note: You can also toast up the almonds ahead to time to save a step. Just store them in covered container till you’re ready to use them.
  9. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots and the nuts are fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the oil. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine sea salt. Set them aside to cool.
  10. In a large bowl, combine together the quinoa, ½ cup chopped parsley, ½ cup feta, toasted almonds, 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  11. Fill up your squash halves with the quinoa and dig in.
  12. Got leftover quinoa? Just reheat it in a skillet with a touch of coconut oil, or just eat it cold
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4-8 depending on how many squashes you buy
3.5.3208

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

if you liked this recipe...

  • oven roasted sweet potato halvesoven roasted sweet potato halves
  • quinoa wrap with black beans, feta and avocadoquinoa wrap with black beans, feta and avocado
  • quinoa with tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mintquinoa with tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mint
  • roasted sweet potato and farro saladroasted sweet potato and farro salad
  • Facebook0
  • Google+0
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest0
  • Email
0

Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, lunch, meatless meals, Quinoa, side dishes, vegetarian Tagged With: dinner, gluten-free, meatless meals, quinoa, sidedishes

Previous Post: « Marin mama’s weekly dinner menu for November 17th
Next Post: Marin mama’s weekly dinner menu for November 24th »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dayna says

    November 1, 2014 at 8:31 pm

    Didn’t have any parsley. I really like marjoram so I thought I’d throw in a little.
    Note to self: Don’t do that again.

    Everything else was great, but the marjoram threw the taste in the wrong direction. Made it heavy instead of fresh.

    Reply
  2. Mary says

    October 25, 2014 at 10:50 pm

    Hi, just discovered this recipe and I LOVED it! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      October 28, 2014 at 3:20 am

      Hi Mary! You’re so welcome, and I’m so happy to hear that you loved the squash! 🙂 xoxo, Jacquelyn

      Reply
  3. Julie says

    October 11, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    I made this today after googling recipe for acorn squash and quinoa – delicious!! I made it with black quinoa as that is what I had in my cupboard. Will defintiely do again!

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      October 16, 2014 at 12:55 pm

      Hi Julie! Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this squash recipe! Thanks for letting me know! xoxo, Jacquelyn 🙂

      Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    October 1, 2014 at 2:41 am

    Just made this tonight and it is great! I just made 1 squash for my husband & myself and I tweeked it a bit. I added 1/2 sautéed onion and a clove of garlic. We don’t care for red wine vinegar very much so I substituted balsamic instead. Fantastic recipe.

    Reply
  5. Alison says

    January 21, 2014 at 5:13 am

    Thanks for the recipe, it was delicious! The second time we made it, I added a bit of garlic to the almonds as they were finishing roasting and a half cup of dried cranberries and it was also quite good…. I don’t eat dairy so it helped give it a little kick in place of the feta. Thanks for your blog! Best wishes for 2014~

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      January 22, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      Hi Alison! I’m so happy that you made and loved this recipe. Your additions sound delish and will be great for those people who don’t eat dairy. I’m lactose intolerant, but I just can’t seem to part with cheese. I know I shouldn’t eat it, but it’s way too good! Best wishes to you as well girl! 2014 is going to be an amazing year, I can totally feel it 🙂 xoxo, Jackie

      Reply
  6. Britt says

    January 17, 2014 at 4:46 pm

    Thanks for the recipe! I thought I’d offer an alternative you might enjoy. Instead of cutting the squash prior to baking, just pop the whole thing in the oven directly on the rack. Set your heat to about 400 degrees and come back in 50-60 minutes (check at 50 minutes). No need to poke ~ I just wash mine thoroughly and put them in. After it’s cooked through, you can slice it open easily, scoop out the seeds and get every morsel of the squash from the now softened skin! No more need for muscles and large sharp knives! 🙂

    Reply
    • jackiegrandy says

      January 17, 2014 at 5:45 pm

      Hi Britt! Thanks so much for the suggestion. I will definitely give it a try next time, as it’s so hard cutting that squash in half. 🙂 xoxo, Jackie

      Reply
    • Debra says

      February 3, 2015 at 11:52 am

      Made this dish last night using Britt’s technique to roast the squash first and it worked like a gem, thank you!

      I completed this recipe with red quinoa; which is my preference and the dish was,,,perfection! Even my husband the skeptic liked it; which to me meant it was a success since eating acorn squash was a first for both of us.

      Looking forward to trying more of your healthy and adventurous (for us) recipes. Thank you Marin Mama!! ~ Debra

      Reply
      • jackiegrandy says

        February 4, 2015 at 6:07 pm

        Awesome Debra! Thanks for letting me know! Ok, I’m totally going to add Britt’s tip to the post so everyone can see it. I’m even going to try it this weekend just to test it out! I’m glad that your hubby even approved of this dish! BONUS!

        Please let me know what else you try from the blog. You have to try my lacinato kale salad, it’s the bomb and gets made at least 2x a week in my house! Also since you like squash, then you should try my spaghetti squash tacos! They’re super tasty and super easy! xoxo, Jacquelyn

        Reply
  7. Emily3 says

    December 4, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and it was good! Kids didn’t want to try it, but adults enjoyed the flavors. We ended up scooping out the squash and mixed it up with the quinoa, with a bit of extra salt and pepper. I’ll make this again, especially if we have vegetarian friends over. Thanks!

    Reply
  8. anna @ annamayeveryday says

    November 28, 2013 at 7:42 pm

    These look delicious, good for you too I’m sure!

    Reply
  9. Sarah & Arkadi says

    November 27, 2013 at 3:49 am

    Simple, beautiful, healthy! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  10. Reba- Not So Perfect Life says

    November 22, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    It really is a great idea to go back and re-do older recipes. I wish I could re-do the pictures to many of my recipes. I would have to just make thus for myself my bf doesn’t like squash but I love it!

    Reply
  11. Heather @ French Press says

    November 22, 2013 at 1:17 am

    what a terrific way to make squash the main dish! LOVE it

    Reply
  12. Sharon B. says

    November 21, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    So pretty! The presentation is gorgeous and it sounds yummy AND healthy. I love the idea of the almonds and feta in here too. You make the best looking things! Have a great day, girl! Off to work in a few minutes but wanted to catch up on my favorite blogs. 🙂 xoxo, Sharon

    Reply
  13. Mary-Rita says

    November 20, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    This looks delicious!

    Reply
  14. 2 Sisters Recipes says

    November 20, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    What a delicious Idea!! LOve the quinoa anytime and inside the squash is a meal itself. Genius! xxoo Anna and Liz

    Reply
  15. Mary says

    November 20, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    I’m laughing because I just made this – except with wholewheat couscous on sunday night! wonderful recipe!!! and of course lovely photos:)
    Mary x

    Reply
  16. Kitchen Belleicious says

    November 20, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    now that is something I could just dig right into “bowl” and all! Would it be bad if I just gobbled up the whole thing? Just wondering- cause i would you know:) Hope life is just great for you this week. The Lord has provided you with healthy and beautiful kids and your such an amazing mom to them and friend! This recipe ROCKS and I can’t wait to ry it because my family tends to get tired of squash easily during the winter bc I use it often but never have I tried it this way before! Love ya!
    Jessica

    Reply
  17. Nathalie says

    November 20, 2013 at 4:48 am

    This looks delicious! Stuffed squash is a thing of beauty for sure! Your instructions are so clear, helpful and detailed – love the idea of using a melon baller to scoop out the seeds, need to try that next time!
    Thanks for sharing! xoxo

    Reply
  18. Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says

    November 20, 2013 at 4:20 am

    I know how you feel about updating some of the older recipes. It’s a shame when the pictures don’t do the meal the justice it deserves.

    These pictures make it look delicious though! You’re so good with your step-by-step photos too. It looks so light and flavorful with the feta and almonds. Perfect for turkey day!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Avalanche of Updates (and Snow!) | Nutri-Nom dot com says:
    November 17, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    […] one weekend to make a delicious and healthy meal featuring some seasonal food! We made a roasted acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds, with a yummy kale and apple slaw! Beautiful AND tasty. […]

    Reply
  2. good extra virgin olive oil brands says:
    October 15, 2014 at 11:12 pm

    good extra virgin olive oil brands

    acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds – Marin Mama Cooks

    Reply
  3. Recipe: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa with Eggplant and Onion « In Search of the Next Meal says:
    October 9, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    […] Adapted from this recipe: […]

    Reply
  4. 6 Heart-Healthy Recipes for American Heart Month » Fit Nation Magazine says:
    February 11, 2014 at 3:34 pm

    […] Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Almonds, via Marinmamacooks.com […]

    Reply
  5. In Season: Winter Squash | Omaha Integrative Care says:
    February 10, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    […] Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa and Roasted Almonds […]

    Reply
  6. 6 Best Reasons to be Vegetarian | chloë lai says:
    January 12, 2014 at 11:26 pm

    […] you ever had a falafel? Or an oven-roasted acorn squash, stuffed with wild rice? Or a five-cheese lasagne? (okay, that last one might stop your heart, but just eat it in little […]

    Reply
  7. NM SQUASH 2014 says:
    November 22, 2013 at 5:01 am

    […] acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted almonds – Marin … […]

    Reply

say something to Marin mama... Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Jacquelyn-Grandycircle

Hi! Welcome to Marin mama cooks! I’m a natural chef, as well as a mom who loves to cook up tasty and healthy whole foods for her family.
About Me...

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Don’t miss a new recipe!

Search Marin Mama cooks…

most popular posts

beet, carrot, apple and ginger juice - no juicer required
roasted whole beets without foil
how to roast red peppers
easy overnight steel cut oats
chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting
Paul McCartney's refried bean tacos

how to make my lacinato kale salad

how to make perfect popovers

Footer

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT