Quinoa is a delicately flavored grain, native to South America. It can be found in most health food stores. For even more flavorful pilaf, use vegetable stock in place of the water.
This recipe was very very good. I recommend lots of onions, carrots, celery, and peas. Use a large dice for the onions, carrots, and celery. I used chicken broth instead of water and it was absolutely delicious. It was extremely quick and easy as well. This recipe is great for you and it tastes good too!!!
Read MoreThis recipe was alright, but wound up being somewhat disappointing. The end result was kind of sweet tasting and all of the vegetables were very mushy. I will look for a different recipe using quinoa.
Read More This recipe was very very good. I recommend lots of onions, carrots, celery, and peas. Use a large dice for the onions, carrots, and celery. I used chicken broth instead of water and it was absolutely delicious. It was extremely quick and easy as well. This recipe is great for you and it tastes good too!!!
Substitued veg. broth for the water- used edamame (vegetable soybeans) instead of peas, bell pepper instead of celery. Came out pretty tasty. Definitly packed with protein due to quinoa and edamame!
This recipe was alright, but wound up being somewhat disappointing. The end result was kind of sweet tasting and all of the vegetables were very mushy. I will look for a different recipe using quinoa.
This recipe is great. My kids think that it is rice and ask me to make the "good rice". I actually took it to a cottage this summer and all of the kids loved it! The lemon juice and the bay leaf are the secret ingredients.
This was pretty good. I didn't have celery or a lemon so just used lemon juice. It was acceptable that night and VERY good the next day. My husband said he would eat it again. Nice change of pace from potatoes or rice--and healthier too! Thanks.
The only thing I changed was all of the lemon flavors. I added no lemon anything. Even DH & DS liked this one! Ha Ha they ate something healthy and enjoyed it...shhh don't tell them, lol. After posting I remembered that I had some leftover and the next day I stuffed the Quinoa Pilaf into blanched , green bell peppers, topped with tomato paste and baked like stuffed peppers. That was even better than the pilaf alone...and....healthy!
This was great and easy to make. Went very well for lunch with a leftover chicken breast. Thanks for sharing Laura.
Great Recipe as written. Quinoa is a new 'discovery' for me, so it is nice to get some different ideas for using it. Love the lemony flavor dimension. When I made it a second time I added a bouillion cube (chicken flav) to the water, and added fresh mushrooms to the sauteed mixture (just eyeball the amount). Came out even better.
This recipe is just ok. Not sure that I would make it again, my husband and step daughter didn't like it. I thought it was alright but nothing I really enjoyed. I will continue my Quinoa recipe search.
I can only give this 4 stars....although I loved it, my husband was less than thrilled....I'll make it again....I used vegetable broth for the water and left out the lemon zest (didn't have any)...This was delicious and easy to make...I love the nutty taste of the quinoa.
I was a little worried when I saw how 'easy' it was suppose to be. I've tried 'easy' recipes, and something usually ends up burnt, tasteless, or a horrible combination of both. This, however, is phenomenally easy to make! Not the 'easy' that you have to have years of cooking experience to acquire, but easy for someone who is horrible at cooking to do! It's simple, fast, doesn't take a whole lot of thinking to do, and it tastes so good! Definitely a usual for me now.
You can do a lot with this and alter as your pantry requires. I didn't have celery but did add some red bell pepper. Also, didn't have bay but used oregano. Forgot the lemon. But it was still quite good! I was surprised when hubby went back for seconds! We've never had quinoa before and he's not an adventerous eater. Thanks, Laura!
This turned out so good that my husband who says he doesn't like quinoa ate all of my leftovers!
Very tasty. I used a teaspoon of low-sodium bouillon and had to substitute a 1/4 tsp of thyme for the bay leaf. I also left off the celery (didn't have any). Next time I might cut the olive oil down to 2 tsp. Will make often.
Great recipe. I doubled the quinoa and used chicken broth instead of the water. I doubled that too.I toasted the quinoa a little as well. I cooked it in the rice cooker on steam/cook.. It worked great.I also added a little chopped basil when I served it.
This was a very good side dish-- but I substituted ingredients based on what I had on hand. I used red quinoa instead and added black beans instead of peas. All in all, not the most flavorful dish, but if you would like a mild and healthy side dish that brings out the taste of the celery and carrots-- it's great!
These are the types of dishes I like to make and keep on hand for side dishes. I got a little carried away with the lemon... but that's not the recipe's fault.
Unattractive and bland. The veggies get overcooked while waiting for the quinoa to become tender. But it made a good base for a quick chicken curry.
For the quinoa, I did change it a bit. I used chicken broth instead of water. I added a pinch of minced garlic to the boiling process along with the bay leaves. I didn't have frozen peas so I used frozen peas and carrots, omitting the fresh carrot. I did not add the onion and celery while it boiled. Instead in a separate skillet, I sauted them till softened and mixed them in toward the end of the cooking process. Very good!
used chicken stock in place of water and it was wonerful. very refreshing!!! the hubby thought it was too lemony.
I love this recipe but I like to add a couple teaspoons of indian spices such as curry and cumin. It really adds a lot of flavor. I find the recipe a bit bland without spices. You can also add basil and savory spices like sage and a bit of rosemary if you don't care for indian spices. With spices, I give this a 4
I was looking for a kid friendly quinoa recipe. I added chicken soup stock instead of water as well as the vegetables. My daughters enjoyed it. It's the first time I get them to eat quinoa without a big fuss!
This is a delicious side that went very well with chicken and caramelized pearl onions. I might try cooking it in vegetable stock next time for added flavor.
This was pretty good. I need to remember next time to chop the vegetables up finer. Did not add the lemon, but will next time.
Alot of work for a side dish. I thought it was ok, but, my husband didn't like it.
Great recipe! I've made twice and the 1st time I followed the recipe exactly and used as a side dish...the 2nd time I added some small diced ham (could use reconstituted TVP ham if you like, I'm sure it would still work find) and used it as a main dish...LOVED it both times (as did my picky, picky children) ;)
Excellent recipe that also tastes good the next day! Like another reviewer, I used g. pepper since I was out of celery. I also threw a handful of toasted sunflower seeds on top before serving. This is really a wonderful recipe as-is, but is also great for adding your own unique twists. Next time, I might add a handful of chopped walnuts and/or some dried fruit -- cranberries, currents or diced apricots. I agree that the lemon juice and zest add a subtle something that is just-right. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I have really enjoyed getting to know quinoa. This recipe is good as is. The lemon juice is a must add! Made it once without & it was not nearly as good. I will add other veggies or even meats to make this a full one dish meal. My husband really doesn't care for this, but I make it a lot when he is working. It is good as leftovers & I take it to work for a healthy meal.
I was cooking pork in the crockpot, so I used the pork dripping in place of the water. I omitted the peas ecause we don't care for them. It was out of this world!
great! I also used edamame and chicken broth. I also added 1/2 tsp of cumin. I love this!
This was really good, even my 9-month old daughter LOVED it. She just kept opening her mouth for more, which these days is pretty uncommon. I didn't add lemon or salt & pepper because I don't give my daughter salt and my husband is not a fan of lemon. What I did add though was some grated cheddar cheese, bell pepper and turkey ham - yum! Definitely will make again!
First time using quinoa and wow! I had no bay leaf so I substituted fresh basil put in right before serving. Have now made this twice in as many days. Highly recommend.
i added bits of red and yellow pepper, and extra onion. i also made it with kallo stock cube and extra water. delish!!
Loved this when I used zucchini instead of peas, cilantro instead of a bay leaf, and cooked the quinoa in 1/2 spicy V8 and 1/2 chicken broth! Definitely large chop veggies and I cooked them in coconut oil.
Good quinoa recipes (to be served hot)are REALLY hard to find. This is one of the best and easiest to make. A delicious new side choice!
Excellent, but really needed the veggie or chicken broth instead of water. I add garlic to almost everything so it was great with some garlic too.
My first experience cooking quinoa. I rinsed well and dry-toasted it. Threw in whatever veggies I had around, sauteed, and used chicken broth for the liquid. Next time I will use slightly less cooking liquid, as it was a bit wet for my taste. Very delicious; will be making quinoa regularly from now on.
I am new to the whole grain scene. This recipe is quite a nice change from the potato/rice rut I fell into. Next time I might use a little less carrot but overall, the dish was very good. I did however use an organic no-chicken stock in lieu of water. That with the fresh lemon, gave it good flavor. I will make this again.
We really like quinoa and this pilaf was good. I liked the hint of citrus. Next time I make it, I will use chicken stock in place of the water. I drizzled some chicken broth over top and it tasted much better.
Our family loves quinoa and I'm always looking for different ways to prepare it. I actually doubled the recipe and added some dry mushrooms and made this the main course. This recipe was a bit bland. I tried to flavor it up by using chicken broth instead of water but found it still lacking. I want to try it again and next time add some garlic with the onion and add more lemon juice. Good recipe to start with though, thank you!
this was okay. It came out a little sticky. And it is slightly sweeter than expected. If I make it again I will use broth instead of water. It got no complaints from the kids.
I'm giving this one five stars. The fact that one of my kids hated it had nothing to do with the quality of the recipe and everything to do with the fact that he rejects all things new. The other child loved it and cleaned her plate! I can see myself making variations of this recipe from time to time, with different veggies or types of quinoa. The recipe is excellent as is, but also has great potential for modification.
Made this recipe scaled to 4 servings. Used other reviewer's tip and added a chicken bouillon cube with the water. Also, only used lemon juice because I couldn't find my citrus zester and I was in a rush to get dinner made. I had cooked the quinoa for 17 min., but it was still undercooked, so I added about 2/3 c. water and cooked it for another 8 min. until done. The flavor was very good, and the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars was over the water issue. This would make a good "1st-Timer" dish for anyone new to quinoa.
This is a very subtle dish, and relatively easy to make. I had trouble finding a strainer that was fine enough to strain quinoa. The lemon zest made a great addition to the taste. Highly suggested.
This was my first time trying Quinoa (cooking it or eating it) and this recipe is just fabulous. I didn't rinse the quinoa before toasting it, and it came out tasting great. It got the thumbs up from both my boyfriend and myself. I will definitely be making this again in the future.
Quinoa is not only really, really, good for you; it's really, really good! This is an easy, delicious recipe that I will use again. The hardest part is chopping up the veggies. Took it to a pot luck and it was a hit. Thanks, Laura!
It has potential, but with the zest and the juice was way too lemony for my taste.
I doubled this recipe - it didn't translate well for me. Sorry! I found it to be a bit sticky even though I rinsed and roasted the quinoa beforehand. I want to cook with this grain more often but won't likely make this recipe again. If you're doubling pay special attention to the new metrics. I think I used too much lemon! Will try a variation of this again I'm sure.
This quinoa is delicious! It is such a wonderful side dish. I followed the recipe "as is" and it turned out great. I hope more people try it!
Excellent! I used chicken broth instead of water and didn’t add any salt. Delicious!
This was great! I made it just like the recipe and loved it. A very good way to use quinoa.
This is a good base with which to start playing. I followed the recipe this first time around but I think that next time I will add some green to it...maybe some spinach. And I will probably decrease the lemon zest a tad. I served it along side fish cakes. It was a great combo. Thanks for posting the recipe!
This recipe was tasty, however, I did make some changes to the recipe. I used chicken broth instead of water, and I also added corn and did not use a bay leaf. I chopped fresh dill and mixed it in at the end. A good starting recipe that can easily be adapted to whatever you have on hand.
Delicious! I added a little jalapeño to the veggies and used avocado oil instead of olive oil
Friends made this for dinner tonight with Cashew Crusted Chicken. Both lovely and now its my turn to cook it. yummmm! I think I might use frozen peas and carrots for ease and homemade chic stock from the chickens I raise.
I followed this recipe exactly except I doubled the amount of quinoa and water. It was delicious and had a nice, delicate flavor. I followed one reviewer's advice and dry-toasted the quinoa after I rinsed it. The end result was light and fluffy, and the veggies were perfectly cooked and not mushy. My 3-year-old and 18-month old loved it! Thank you!
This was our first taste of quinoa and we liked it. It is zero points on WW purple plan. My husband thought it was rice until I told him what it was.
