Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

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Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes are a quick and healthy meal idea or side dish! Enjoy juicy baked tomatoes stuffed with flavorful quinoa and spinach and topped with melty cheese.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy vegetarian recipes, stuffed tomato recipe, stuffed tomatoes

Servings:

Author: Katerina | Diethood

Equipment

Ingredients

8 medium ripe tomatoes
salt, to taste
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 cups fresh baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Slice off 1/2 inch of the stem end of the tomatoes and hollow out the inside.
Slice just a small section off of the bottom of the tomatoes so that they will sit flat on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle salt in the hollow portion of each tomato and place hollow side up on the baking sheet. Set aside.
Place water and quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil; lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and stir in the spinach; season with salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted.
Stir in the garlic and parsley, cook for a minute longer, and remove from the burner.
Add cooked quinoa to the spinach and mix well.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
Evenly divide the filling among the tomatoes.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve.

Notes

Tomatoes: The best tomatoes for stuffing are large, round, plump tomatoes. Good choices are Beefsteak tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, and Campari tomatoes.
Make Ahead: You can prepare the filling and stuff the tomatoes up to 1-2 days ahead. Instead of baking, cover the stuffed tomatoes airtight and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake.
Storage: Store leftover stuffed tomatoes in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat them in the oven at 350ºF until warm.
Serving: I’ll often budget 1-2 tomatoes per person when serving this as a main, and ½ to 1 tomato per person as a side dish.
Substitute Quinoa: The quinoa in this recipe can be replaced with rice, bulgur wheat, lentils, or even couscous. Keep in mind that some grain varieties are not gluten-free.
Cheese: Instead of mozzarella and parmesan, you can also top the quinoa stuffed tomatoes with crumbly feta, Monterey Jack, or shredded cheddar cheese.

Nutrition