Quinoa with Sauteed Veggies & Gravy

I think I can say it’s officially fall in Texas, which means I can use all autumn related emojis… 🍂 🍁 🍃 ☕️ 🎃🍎

While other states have already gotten snow and freezing temps, I’m down in Texas like… it’s November 😎 👙🍹

Here in the Lone Star State we like pumpkin spiced everything & cozy sweaters just like the rest of you, and the thought that maybe-just-maybe we’ll actually get to use our fireplaces at least once this year. It may have hit 80 degrees yesterday where I live, but that won’t stop me from making delicious, seasonal dishes that make me feel like we have autumn for more than two seconds in Texas.

Cue today’s post ☝️ because how fall/autumn does this dish look?! Quinoa with Sauteed Veggies and Gravy – I mean, how often do vegans get to eat gravy, am I right? I created this recipe after buying a box of Pacific Mushroom Gravy for the first time and then realized I had no idea what to use it for 💔 Then I came up with this yummy, filling (not to mention healthy) entree. It consists of fluffy quinoa with sauteed garlic, onions, squash & mushrooms, and all simmered in savory mushroom gravy 😍 👌

Start by soaking 1/2 cup of quinoa in a sealed container with filtered water. I like to soak it overnight, or you can start soaking in the morning if you aren’t making this dish until dinnertime. Soaking the quinoa in water allows the removal of acids and makes it easier for your body to digest it and absorb the nutrients. When you’re ready to prepare the dish, rinse and drain the quinoa.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the quinoa, and turn down to low heat. My quinoa cooked freakishly fast, probably because I soaked it for longer this time (about a day and a half), so keep an eye on it while cooking and turn down to the lowest setting if necessary. Normally it should take about 20 minutes. You want the quinoa to be nice and fluffy.

While the quinoa is cooking, dice up a couple slices of yellow onion and mince a few medium cloves of garlic. In a large sauce pan, heat up a little coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Toss in the onions and when they start to become translucent, add the garlic. Once they both start browning, add one sliced squash and a handful of sliced mushrooms. You can sub any veggies you like, I just really like the squash and mushroom combo. Cook on medium heat and add liquid as necessary (water, chickpea broth, etc).

Season the cooked quinoa with salt, pepper, garlic powder and about 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast (if you like). Once the veggies are all cooked and browning, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I like to have my veggies resting on a comfy bed of quinoa as opposed to a heaping mess of savory goodness (nothing wrong with that but for photographing and serving purposes I like to be fancy 💅). Scoop the veggies out of the skillet and set them aside. Line the pan with a layer of quinoa, lay the veggies over, then pour gravy over everything like you just don’t care 💃 If you want to be real fancy, you could make your own mushroom gravy.

Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it sit for a few minutes to heat the gravy and let everything simmer together. Chop up some parsley for garnish and it’s ready to serve! It tastes best served fresh but if you eat it as leftovers later, I would suggest adding a little more gravy because it soaks into the quinoa after sitting. This recipes serves two, but it’s super easy to double or triple!

Other suggestions: Substitute the quinoa for millet, which has a similar texture and taste, as well as numerous health benefits. Add some tofu for a heartier dish. Serve straight from the skillet and top with some generous sprinkles of nutritional yeast.

This is the perfect dinner recipe for a crisp autumn night, or if you live in Texas, a humid semi-autumn night. Either way, it’s delicious and easy to customize. And dat gravy 👍

Jillian ♥