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drizzling creamy salad dressing over quinoa pilaf
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Quinoa Pilaf

This veggie-packed quinoa pilaf is naturally gluten-free, nutrient-dense, and high protein. It works wonderfully as a warm main, side dish, or a cold quinoa salad. With plenty of your favorite vegetables and a flavorful broth, this dish is sure to be a family favorite. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftovers!
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3

Ingredients

Quinoa:

  • 1 cup (180 g) quinoa
  • 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) water or vegetable broth
  • 3/4-1 tsp sea salt (use less if using broth)
  • 1/3 tsp ground turmeric

Vegetables :

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 red chili minced (omit if sensitive to heat)
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1 cup (120 g) peas frozen & thawed
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) sweet potato finely diced (*see notes)
  • 1/2 cup (75 g) bell pepper chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste (I used 1/2 tsp salt)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime

Instructions

  • Check the video in the blog post for easy visual instructions.
    Thoroughly rinse quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve.
  • Add the rinsed quinoa, water, salt, and turmeric to a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low/medium. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and all water is absorbed.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet/pan over medium/high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and the chili (if using) to the oil.
  • Also, add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Then add ginger, garlic, all vegetables, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf. Stir to combine.
  • Finally, add vegetable broth, cover the skillet and let the vegetables cook over low-medium heat until tender (but not mushy), about 7-10 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and add the cooked quinoa. Pour in the lemon juice or lime juice and stir. Garnish with fresh herbs.
  • Serve immediately! You can also store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and enjoy them as a quinoa salad with a creamy tahini dressing.

Notes

  • Finely dice the sweet potato, so that it cooks faster. You can use a carrot instead of a sweet potato.
  • Add more veggies of choice if you like. Some examples are zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, etc.
  • Read the blog post for more helpful tips & variations, serving suggestions, storing instructions, and step-by-step photos.
  • Recipe serves 2-3, nutrition facts are for one serving.
 
Nutrition Facts
Quinoa Pilaf
Amount per Serving
Calories
338
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
54
g
18
%
Fiber
 
8
g
32
%
Sugar
 
7
g
8
%
Protein
 
12
g
24
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.