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.
Servings : 8
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
Serving: 1 stuffed tomato | Calories: 176 kcal | Carbohydrates: 20 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 15 mg | Sodium: 189 mg | Potassium: 560 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 3269 IU | Vitamin C: 24 mg | Calcium: 156 mg | Iron: 2 mg | Net Carbs: 17 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.