Golden Quinoa with Aromatic Spices (Printable)
Aromatic quinoa with turmeric, vegetables, and warm spices. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and ready in 30 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 medium carrot, diced
05 - 1 bell pepper (yellow or red), diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup frozen peas
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Fats & Garnishes
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
15 - Lemon wedges for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes until translucent.
02 - Stir in garlic, carrot, and bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Sprinkle turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt over vegetables. Stir to coat and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed quinoa and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
05 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
06 - Stir in frozen peas, cover, and let steam off heat for 5 minutes.
07 - Fluff quinoa with fork. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The turmeric gives this quinoa a gorgeous golden color that brightens even the dreariest weeknight dinner table, I swear it improves my mood just looking at it.
- Its deceptively simple but tastes like something that took hours to develop those flavors, and Ive found its just as delicious cold the next day for lunch.
02 -
- The key to perfectly fluffy quinoa is letting it rest covered after cooking, as I discovered after years of impatience resulting in gummy texture.
- Adding the frozen peas at the end rather than cooking them with everything else keeps them bright green and prevents that mushy overcooked texture that reminds everyone of bad cafeteria food.
03 -
- Keep a clean kitchen towel handy to place under the lid after cooking instead of the pot lid itself, as this absorbs excess moisture and results in quinoa thats fluffy rather than soggy.
- If youre sensitive to textures, try pulsing the bell pepper and carrot in a food processor until finely minced, they cook down more thoroughly and become almost invisible in the final dish.