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Jeweled Wild Rice and Quinoa Stuffing

This wild rice and quinoa stuffing features fruits and fresh herbs for a gluten-free, healthier option for your Thanksgiving table.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Side Dish, Thanksgiving
Cuisine: American, Fusion, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Keyword: gluten free, healthy, quinoa, rice stuffing, stuffing, wild rice, wild rice stuffing
Servings: 6 people
Author: The Elegant Economist

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker or a Medium Saucepan
  • Large Saucepan / Skillet

Ingredients

For the Rice:

  • ½ cup brown rice (short or long grain is fine)
  • ½ cup wild rice
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Other Stuffing Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 stalks celery, diced small
  • ½ medium sweet onion, diced small
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 medium honeycrisp or gala apple, diced small
  • 1.75 ounces dried apricots, diced small (50g)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped (plus extra, for garnish)
  • 1 medium sprig of fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fines herbes or herbes de Provence (optional)
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup quinoa (I used red, but regular quinoa is fine)
  • ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh pomegranate arils (can substitute dried cranberries if desired, add when you add the apricots)

Instructions

For the Rice:

  • In your rice cooker combine the wild and brown rice with the broth and cook on the brown rice setting, or cook on the stovetop with the broth - bringing to a boil and then reducing the heat to medium, covering, and cooking for 45-65 minutes.

For the Rest of the Stuffing:

  • While the rice is cooking; in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, add your olive oil, the chopped onion and celery, sauteing for 5-8 minutes, until well-cooked. Next, add your garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add your apple, apricots, parsley, sage, fines herbes, sea salt and pepper, and mix well.
  • Now add your other cup of vegetable broth and the quinoa. Allow the quinoa to simmer in the broth until fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Add the cooked rice and wild rice to the pot, stir in your walnuts and pomegranate arils, and serve garnished with more parsley and pomegranate arils.
  • If you want to bake it befoe serving, you can do so for 15-20 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven. Don't overbake as the rice on top may become hard and unpleasant.
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