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This One Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa is a cozy, flavorful meal that’s budget-friendly and easy to make. Vegan, Gluten-Free & made with only 7 ingredients!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I crave a comforting meal, even on a warm summer day; this One Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa is the perfect dose of nourishing goodness.
Many of us (myself included) think of butternut squash as a fall vegetable, but its season actually starts in the summer! This recipe is the perfect summer-to-fall bridge; it won’t weigh you down, but still has that warm & cozy element we’re looking for thanks to rosemary, garlic, and squash!
INGREDIENTS FOR ONE POT BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA
Sometimes the ingredients in ‘one-pot’ recipes can end up combining into one general flavor. That’s not the case for this dish! The squash is creamy and just the right amount of sweet, while the beans and quinoa are savory and hearty, and the rosemary and garlic-infused olive oil finishes everything off with an explosion of flavor!
- Butternut Squash: is creamy, flavorful, and perfect for a filling meal that won’t leave you feeling overstuffed.
- Quinoa: adds a hearty, fluffy element that balances out the creaminess of the butternut squash. It’s also loaded with plant-based protein!
- Garbanzo Beans: add more hearty texture and plant protein. Chickpeas are my favorite versatile bean for almost any dish.
- Garlic, Rosemary & Olive Oil: Sautéing the garlic and rosemary in olive oil helps to infuse the oil first, which in turn adds even more flavor to our quinoa and chickpeas.
- Tahini Dressing: is optional but definitely recommended! It brings a rich, nutty flavor and adds more creaminess and healthy fats.
HOW TO MAKE ONE POT BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA
This recipe is perfect for customizing — if you want to add greens, you can stir in some baby spinach at the end of cooking. Or, you can serve it over some leafy salad greens! Either way, a generous drizzle of my Tahini Dressing never hurt 😉
- Chop the butternut squash — Make sure it is finely chopped, otherwise it won’t cook through in the short cooking time.
- Sauté rosemary and garlic in olive oil until fragrant, then add butternut squash.
- Add quinoa and veggie broth and stir, then sprinkle chickpeas on top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover to continue cooking.
- Once fully cooked, let sit for 5 mins. Then fluff with a fork.
- Top with optional tahini dressing and serve!
One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s delicious hot or cold. Sometimes I want to enjoy it chilled at a backyard picnic, but other times I would rather have it warm, cuddled up under a blanket with the fam.
A dish like this is also super convenient for meal-prep for the whole week. It’s great for those days when you are short on time but still want something veggie-packed and nutritious. Plus, it will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen in smaller portions and defrosted as you need it. The ultimate convenient and fuss-free recipe, if you ask me!
If you’re looking for more cozy quinoa recipes, you’ll also love these Kale & Quinoa Vegan Stuffed Peppers, this Vegan Slow Cooker Bean & Quinoa Chili, and these Savory Mango & Chipotle Quinoa Buddha Bowls!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
One Pot Quinoa with Butternut Squash
This One Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa is a cozy, flavorful meal that’s budget-friendly and easy to make. Vegan, Gluten-Free & made with only 7 ingredients!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary* (or 2 tsp dried)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and finely chopped; about 3 cups or 380 g
- 1 cup (185 g) dry quinoa
- 2 cups (470 ml) vegetable broth (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 15.5 ounce (440 g) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: Tahini Dressing and/or greens, for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Warm the oil in a large, nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the rosemary sprig and minced garlic; sauté for around 60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the butternut squash to the pot and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook: add the quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan and stir well. Then, sprinkle the chickpeas on top of the quinoa mixture – they won’t become fully submerged in the liquid, but this is ok. Increase the heat to high until everything comes to a boil; then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-23 minutes.
- Serve: Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before opening the pot and fluffing with a fork. Serve as desired; I recommend topping with some Tahini Dressing. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen and defrosted as needed for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Rosemary: I chose to leave the rosemary whole and remove before serving, but you can also finely chop it (use around 1 tablespoon) and leave it in the final dish for a stronger flavor.
- Oil-Free: sauté the garlic and rosemary in 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water or extra vegetable broth before adding the remaining ingredients
Keywords: one pot quinoa, vegetable quinoa, vegan quinoa, butternut squash quinoa, healthy quinoa recipes
Excellent recipe! Very yummy and easy. I stirred in some kale at the end for the greens and it was great. The suggested sauce is key
★★★★★
Thank you, Pam!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and it’s always really good. However, for some reason this time everything finished cooking in half the time (normally I always leave it for 20 mins as the recipe says and it’s perfect), including the squash was soft by then and all the liquid was gone. I have no idea why that is since I did everything the same way I usually do, but it might be a good idea to check on the pot halfway just to be sure nothing is burning. Luckily I noticed it right away 🙂
I also added some baby spinach this time for the first time, and I think it’s a really good addition so I’ll be making it with spinach from now on.
★★★★★
Hi Petra, thank you for your feedback! Is there a chance the burner was left on high after the pot came to a boil? It’s important to turn it down to medium low so that the pot doesn’t scorch and the mixture cooks evenly.
Spinach sounds like a great addition! If you love this recipe then I think you’d enjoy this one as well: https://frommybowl.com/butternut-squash-brown-rice-casserole/
I used dried rosemary and frozen chunks of butternut squash (I hate cooking!). It turned out well, but somehow I think, for my taste, I might try changing something, just not sure what. However it tasted very good on a piece of multigrain bread made at Safeway’s bakery. I’m glad it was easy and truly was one pot. That’s what I’m looking for! If you have other one pot recipes here, please point them out to me. Thank you!
★★★★
Happy it turned out well, Cynthia! Thank you for the feedback.
This was delicious! I thought it was a 10/10 and my vegan junk food loving husband gave it an 8/10!
★★★★★
Thank you, Brittany!
Keep the tasty recipes coming!
I made this last night for my husband and me. He’s normally not the biggest fan of quinoa, but this was an amazing mix of flavors. I used frozen butternut squash, and thawed it in the microwave. As someone else posted previously, I added onion to ours. We are not vegan or vegetarian, so I added ground sausage. We also used the tahini dressing. What a wonderful compliment to the dish!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for the feedback, Katherine! Glad you and your husband loved the recipe!
Hi! How many cups of cooked chickpeas are in 2 15.5oz can? Through the comments I read, this recipe is delicious so I need to try it!
Thank you, have a nice day!
There’s generally around 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas per can, so you should be good with using 3 cups!
This was delicious! At first I thought how can this work with only 2 cups liquid and quinoa plus butternut squash plus chickpeas?! But everything cooked perfectly. Added the tahini dressing and some kale. Yum!!
★★★★★
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made this now; it’s easily one of my most favorite meals! I like using dried rosemary to leave it in the dish and have even more of that flavor, and yes, the tahini/lemon drizzle is a must!! Thanks so much for a super easy recipe full of delicious, cozy, fall/winter flavor!
★★★★★
Well we’re happy to hear it’s been serving you well! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have had it twice now and the rosemary is such a good combination with the butternut squash. The second time I made it I added a small yellow onion at the beginning just to use it up! Will be making it more times for sure.
★★★★★
Glad you’ve been getting some use out of the recipe!
So easy and comforting ! The different flavours work so well together, and the texture is really nice, we both loved it at home 😉 Thank youuu xx
★★★★★
Thank YOU! It’s awesome you’ve been sharing meals with someone!
I just tried tis today and I absolutely loved it! It’s just so easy but delicious!!! Definetelly going to be doing this recepie a lot during autumn and winter.
★★★★★
It’s definitely perfect for fall and winter! Hope it serves you well!
This recipe is NOTHING short of delicious!!! As college student athlete, meal prepping plant based food can sometimes be monotonous and a little complicated. This recipe took me less than an hour to make and was so simple. This recipe is a 10/10, easily!
Yay! Love hearing that – thank you!
Hey!! First time ever using butternut squash, and i was happy to be able to finally use up the quinoa in my pantry. I followed the recipe exacly except i used dried rosemary. The sautee part with the oil and herbs really brought out the flavors. The tahini dressing was a perfect topping it really brought all the flavors together. Finally, it was sooo easy to make. Thank you Caitlyn for another easy healthy and tasty recipe.
★★★★★
So happy to hear you liked your first butternut squash recipe! Thanks so much for trying it out!
Delicious! I added an onion at the beginning. It makes quite a lot so I enjoyed it for a week alternating lunch and dinner. Easy and nutritious and I will make it again. I was too lazy to make the tahini dressing. Perhaps next time.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making!