Pumpkins are for craving, stuffing, baking, and indulgent pies. In this Thanksgiving-inspired recipe by talented plant-based chef and author Ellen Charlotte Marie, each bite will taste better than the next as bursting flavors of fresh, crisp, vegetables hit your tongue. Ellen is Dutch, and just like Bettina, will not celebrate Thanksgiving but shared her best autumnal recipe that pairs perfectly with the holiday. If you're looking for healthier options, as a strong immune system is everyone's number one priority right now, this recipe is light, clean, low in calories, and simply delicious.

Festively Stuffed Pumpkin

Serves 4 

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized butternut squash
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • A few rosemary twigs
  • 1 red onion, in rings
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ lb. mixed mushrooms
  • 4 endives, finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • Cooked quinoa for 4
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
  • 2 firm pears, cut
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and place skin down in an oven dish.
  2. Top with olive oil and salt and pepper. Put the rosemary twigs on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
  3. Sauté the onion and the garlic in some olive oil. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and endives. Keep stirring and season with salt, pepper, and turmeric.
  4. After stir-frying for several minutes, remove from the heat and mix in the quinoa. Fill the pumpkin halves with the quinoa mix and bake for 5 minutes more.
  5. In the meantime, fry the pears in a bit of coconut oil till golden brown.
  6. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and fried pear.

Nutritionals 

Calories 525 | Total Fat 9.2g | Saturated Fat 3.6g | Sodium 616mg | Total Carbohydrates 98.6g | Dietary Fiber 15.3g | Total Sugars 20.1g | Protein 16.9g | Vitamin D 204mcg | Calcium 141mg | Iron 7mg | Potassium 1375mg |

For more vegan Thanksgiving ideas, check out this guide to 25 plant-based holiday recipes.

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