This healthy quinoa recipe is loaded with all the tasty and nutritious things like oven-roasted pumpkin, beets, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and spinach. It's a filling and flavorful dish that can be enjoyed as a whole meal or served as quinoa salad too. Since it's vegan and gluten-free, people with these dietary preferences can enjoy it too.
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Honestly, quinoa was not a part of our cooking when I was growing up. However, it has become a regular in my kitchen for the last few years and now everyone in my family loves quinoa. That's the reason you find me regularly posting easy quinoa recipes on my blog.
Today, I am sharing a very tasty and healthy quinoa recipe which is loaded with a lot of my favorite ingredients- cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, roasted pumpkin, beets, lemon juice, and fresh coriander leaves.
Aren't the list of ingredients sufficient to make you sure that it will be a very flavorful quinoa dish?
Though I have posted a lot of quinoa recipes on my blog and love them all, this one is my favorite.
Why quinoa?
Quinoa has really gained its popularity in the last few years. You will find great quinoa dishes on the Instagram posts of almost every influencer promoting a healthy lifestyle.
It's vegan, gluten-free, and is a low carb ingredient. So, people with a lot of different dietary preferences can enjoy it.
My reason for loving quinoa is not only it's health benefits. I love it's taste and texture too. Quinoa soaks all the flavors that you add to it. Unlike rice, it feels very light yet filling.
Looking for rice substitutes? Try quinoa, you will love it.
Other than that it's also very easy to make and gets ready within a few minutes. However, if you cooking quinoa for the first time, it could be slightly tricky to get perfect fluffy, non-sticky quinoa. Don't worry making perfect quinoa is very easy, just follow the tips which I have shared below.
Tips to make perfect fluffy quinoa
- Wash the quinoa before cooking. Rinsing helps in removing the outer coating of quinoa called saponin. It makes quinoa slightly bitter and soapy. Though most of the packed quinoa comes pre-rinsed, it's always good to wash your ingredients before cooking. To wash it in a large strainer with very tiny wholes (smaller the quinoa) and wash under running water for a few minutes.
- One part of uncooked quinoa will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Adjust the quantity accordingly.
- The quinoa: water ratio should be 1:2 to get the perfect result. That is if you are using 1 cup quinoa, use 2 cups of water to cook it.
- Don't cover the pot while cooking quinoa. Cook it uncovered on a medium flame for around 15-20 minutes or until the water gets absorbed. Then switch off the gas and cover the pan. Don't remove the lid for at least 5 minutes. After that just fluff with a fork.
If you will follow the above tips, your quinoa will always come out nice and fluffy.
Ingredients required to make healthy quinoa with vegetables
Though the ingredients list may appear long, if you check closely you will notice that all the ingredients are very basic and easily available. I am sure most of these ingredients will always be there in your kitchen.
However, I am also suggesting a few substitutes to make it even simpler.
- Quinoa: I have used white quinoa, use whichever variety you prefer-red, black, or mixed.
- Chickpeas: Home-cooked or canned both are fine. You can also use any other cooked beans or lentils of your choice.
- Cherry tomatoes: Any other variety of tomatoes is fine too. Just chop them before adding 🙂
- Pumpkin: Use any variety of pumpkin or butternut squash.
- Beetroot: You can also use sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, broccoli.
- Spinach: Fresh or frozen both are fine. Feel free to use any other leafy green too like kale, bok choy, etc.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Water: Vegetable stock can be used too
- Spring onion
- Fresh coriander leaves: Parsely or any other fresh herb can be used too.
- Lemon juice
- Red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
- Cumin powder: Use any spice of your choice
- Olive oil/ any other cooking oil of your choice
More easy quinoa recipes
Do you also want to make quinoa a regular part of your diet? Don't miss to check the following easy quinoa recipes on my blog:
- Lentil quinoa soup
- Mexican quinoa salad
- Quinoa beet salad
- Vegan quinoa salad
- Quinoa fruit salad
- Quinoa pulao
Easy vegan dinner recipes
If you want to try more easy vegan dinner ideas, you will find the following recipes useful:
Step by step photo instructions
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Healthy quinoa recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1.5 cups peeled pumpkin cubes
- 1.5 cups peeled beetroot cubes
- 1 cup boiled/ canned chickpeas
- 1 cup chopped spinach fresh/ frozen
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 medium-sized onion finely chopped
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- ½ cup chopped spring onion
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- Ground black pepper as per taste
- Salt as per taste
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread pumpkin and beetroot cubes on it. Drizzle around ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle some salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands until every piece gets evenly coated with oil, salt, ad pepper. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.
- Rinse quinoa and put in a pot. Add water and cook uncovered on a medium flame for 15-20 minutes or until the water gets evaporated. Switch off the gas, cover the pan, and let the quinoa remain like that for atleast 5 minutes. After that, remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and onion. Saute until the onion starts turning brown.
- Add cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Saute for around minutes.
- Next, add chopped spinach and cook until the leaves get wilted.
- Add chickpeas, cumin powder, and chili flakes. Cook for around 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, add spring onion, baked vegetables, quinoa, and lemon juice. Mix everything. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Don't remove the lid for atleast 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend together.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use any other vegetable of your choice like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.
- You can also add more warm spices like cinnamon powder, ginger powder, etc to flavor this dish.
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