Pair quinoa with roasted vegetables to make a healthy side or a simple meatless meal. It’s easy! Just cook quinoa then toss with roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, garlic and balsamic for a dish that is sure to become everyone’s favorite!
I am always looking for different but healthy side dishes to have with dinner. And, as you probably already know if you have been following my blog, I love quinoa, and the many ways that you can fix it, so it was a no-brainer to fix this vegetable combo. And I like that quinoa is such a healthy seed, providing an ample supply of protein, iron, magnesium and potassium, as well as a great gluten-free substitute for other sides such as pasta.
What is even better, is this dish is easy to fix for those busy weeknights. You can make it in about 30 minutes and clean up is a breeze when using the parchment paper to line the baking sheet. Try cooking the quinoa a day or two in advance and dinner gets even easier.
You can eat this dish as a meatless meal or, as we did, serve it as a side with our dinner of grilled salmon. The roasting gives the vegetables a similar flavor to something grilled so pairs very nicely with most grilled meats and seafood.
If you make half of this recipe like I did, you can use the extra quinoa to make tabouli or hearty Southwestern-flavored salad for an easy weekday lunch.
QUINOA with ROASTED VEGETABLES
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 cups tomatoes, cut in large chunks
- 1 can chick peas, drained & rinsed
- 1 onion, cut in large chunks
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head garlic, divided into cloves & peeled
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Additional seasonings: oregano, basil & thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place 2 cups chicken stock and quinoa in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork.
- While quinoa is cooking, mix tomatoes, chickpeas and onion in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.
- Lay in single layer on baking sheet(s). Place garlic among vegetables.
- Roast in oven 20-25 minutes or until chickpeas are crispy and tomatoes are browned.
- Place all vegetables in a large bowl.
- Cut up the roasted cloves of garlic and add to mixture for more intense flavor.
- Add the cooked quinoa and toss all with balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, a little more olive oil and any additional seasonings. I added oregano and chopped basil to mine.
- Serve warm or cold.
Love quinoa too? Check out our Quinoa Pinterest board for more delicious options.
What's your favorite quinoa dish? Any you would like to see us make?
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