A Quinoa Pilaf That You'll Love

"A good friend of mine gave me a big bag of quinoa to celebrate the birth of my second son (forget baby clothes and toys - this girl knows how important food is to me!) and I was worried that it was too healthy to taste good. Was I ever wrong! I found this recipe in The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook as a variation of rice pilaf. I have made a version with couscous and enjoyed it, but always wished it was whole grain. This version tastes almost exactly like the couscous, but with the added benefit of whole grain and a pile of protein. It is now a regular side dish in our household and you can complement the taste of whatever else you're eating by varying the spices. If you've never tried quinoa before, this is the recipe to experiment with. Enjoy!"
 
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Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
4-6
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ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 12 teaspoon dried oregano (may substitute dried herb or spice blend of choice, I like to use a salt free Moroccan Spice mix or)
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 14 cups regular chicken broth or 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 14 teaspoon salt
  • 12 - 1 cup frozen peas (optional, but I never leave them out)
  • 1 -2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 14 teaspoon black pepper or 1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
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directions

  • In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
  • Cook onion, carrot, and herb or spice of choice, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes or until softened.
  • Add quinoa; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • Add stock and salt and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in peas; cover and cook for 5 minutes more or until peas are heated through and liquid is absorbed.
  • Add lemon juice and pepper and toss with a fork.

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Reviews

  1. This turned out just lovely. We really enjoyed it and it is very easy to make. I left out the oil and used veggie stock, due to my dietary requirements. I had to leave out the peas because it turns out we did not have any. I also roasted the quinoa in the pan before cooking. I learned this trick with quinoa a while back and it really ups the taste of it. I know that is a lot of changes, but really I still felt that it did not change the integrity of the recipe. I will make this again for sure. The lemon juice is what really makes this dish. Thank you for posting, would make it again for sure.
     
  2. Very good dish to throw together. Had some rotisserie chicken chopped up and put about 2 cups in. Great main dish - hot and cold!
     
  3. I served this with braised short ribs and it was a hit. A wonderful substitute for rice or noodles. I even forgot the lemon juice and it was still great. Thank you.
     
  4. Very good. The lemon really makes it. I used less salt and oil and did 2 cups of broth, since I usually use the same ratio that is on the box.
     
  5. For Quinoa this is the best I have found.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a young (if I do say so myself!) mom to 3 boys, ages 4, 2 and 4 months (as of Jan 08), and my husband and I live on 19 acres outside of a small village called Douglas. I grew up in Ottawa, but always wanted to live in this area, having spent a lot of time around here at my parents' cottage. Most of my time is spent with my boys and taking care of our new old 100 year old farmhouse. I absolutely love cooking and trying new things, and I'm very much into natural healing and healing through diet.
 
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