15 Best Quick and Healthy Quinoa Recipes - Damn Delicious (2024)

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Post navigation Want to Save this Recipe for Later? Leave a Reply 19 comments Chi Laigo Vallido — February 29, 2020 @ 12:35 PM Reply Your quinoa recipes are so yummy. It has been difficult making a switch from eating rice. Asians without rice? What’s up with that right? But my lab results showed that I am pre-diabetic so I need to make changes while I still have time to reverse my condition. Thank you for this. I will now be a regular follower. MaryAnn Kazmierczak — January 12, 2018 @ 3:48 PM Reply Would love to see nutritional values of your recipes. Chungah — January 12, 2018 @ 3:49 PM Reply Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps, MaryAnn! Susanne — January 12, 2018 @ 12:45 PM Reply Wow, what a bunch of great recipes! Thanks, Chungah. I really like quinoa & make it a lot — but never even *thought* of putting it in spring rolls or using it as “breading”! I’ll be making the quinoa garlic mushroom dish for supper tonight because I have a bunch of mushrooms I want to use up. My usual “go to” for quinoa is either a cold salad or a hot veggie dish, both made the same way: I dice raw carrot, celery, bell pepper & green onion and toss them into cooked quinoa. Add some lightly steamed broccoli, olives, feta and/or blue cheese. In the summer, I sprinkle that with some balsamic & olive oil & eat. In winter, I toss it all into the microwave & nuke it for a minute or two & eat it hot, sometimes adding cooked peas, corn and/or black beans. Delicious either way. And I always toss a spoonful or two (uncooked) into my ancient grains’n’seeds porridge. Good, and good for you — how can you not love it? Amanda — September 5, 2017 @ 7:51 AM Reply The one pan Mexican quinoa is my new go to dish. Everyone who’s tried it has asked for the recipe so I’ve sent them to your website. It is so easy and so delicious! Taylor (Utah Health) — July 30, 2017 @ 7:11 PM Reply I tried the Kale salad with Lemon dressing and it’s fantastic! I’ll try the Blueberry Quinoa breakfast bowl next, and I can’t wait! Thanks so much for the recipes. Nicole G — March 2, 2017 @ 3:17 PM Reply OK, so this week I made the one pan mexican quinoa…OH.MY.GOD!! I hardly have words. My husband and I just kept looking at each other. I could eat that every day for the rest of my life – no joke!Tonight I made the Cheesy broccoli casserole, and again it was another hit! We were eating salads for dinner and if I eat another salad, I’ll upchuck. These are delicious, healthy and easy.Thank you so, so much! Abigail Murdock — May 19, 2016 @ 8:50 PM Reply Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa sounds my type, healthy and yummy, thanks Chungah for sharing your 15 best recipes for quinoa. Mary M. Martinez — March 16, 2016 @ 8:09 AM Reply LOVE this post! And your pictures are beautiful! Chelsea Love — February 24, 2016 @ 9:38 AM Reply I purchased quinoa on a whim a few months ago but have been unable to find any toddler/boyfriend-friendly recipes until this list. Thanks for putting it all together! Rebecca — January 17, 2015 @ 2:12 PM Reply These look great! I’ve had a hard time finding a variety of good quinoa recipes. So many yummy options here! Simple Green Moms — January 16, 2015 @ 10:23 AM Reply I have always been more of a rice kinda gal, BUT some of these recipes just changed my mind! =) PINNED. Thanks for sharing! Chels — January 16, 2015 @ 9:35 AM Reply Mmm, I love quinoa and am always looking for more ways to use it. Pinned! Tina Coulombe — January 12, 2018 @ 1:01 PM Reply I have never tried quinoa Could give me some ideal what its like Thank you Jules @ WolfItDown — January 15, 2015 @ 2:28 PM Reply Mmm I love the flavour of quinoa, and these are all such great recipes! I would never have thought to use them in spring rolls – clever 😀 Thanks for the round-up, I’ll be sure to stock up on quinoa 😀 x Abigail — January 15, 2015 @ 10:10 AM Reply Nom nom nom!! These look amazingDo you think I use botched soggy quinoa for any of these recipes and if not could you provide ideas on what I could do with it, because of my new years resolutions is not to waste food so it will be used for something even if I have to make a foot scrub out of it lol? I was going to make some fried quinoa and some barbeque chicken quinoa and I ruined two cups of dried quinoa. I’d never cooked that large an amount before, I should have stuck to making each batch separately like I had in the past lol. I did use one cup in a broccoli and cheese casserole so I chuckled a bit when I saw that recipe. Chungah — January 15, 2015 @ 10:18 AM Reply Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience using “botched soggy quinoa” before in any of my recipes! Although this quinoa veggie fried rice might be worth trying out – you’ll be adding in a ton of other veggies so it may balance out the botched quinoa! kelsey — August 17, 2016 @ 9:57 PM Reply If you over cook your quinoa chop up some herbs and jalapenos mix in some egg and panko and turn them into patties…you can freeze them and store for a later time Olivia - Primavera Kitchen — January 15, 2015 @ 4:41 AM Reply Wow so many delicious quinoa recipes in here! FAQs References

19 Comments »

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So easy, nutritious and hearty. Best of all, they don’t even taste “healthy”!

15 Best Quick and Healthy Quinoa Recipes - Damn Delicious (1)

To compensatefor all those non-diet-friendly recipesI started posting since the start of January – particularly that lemon butter chicken and the easy creamy mushrooms – I thought it would be best to redeem myself by rounding up some of my favorite quinoa recipes. After all, life is all about balance, right?

1. Quinoa Enchilada Casserole – A lightened-up, healthy enchilada bake chockfull of quinoa, black beans and cheesy goodness. [GET THE RECIPE.]

2. Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette – Perfect as a light lunch or even a meatless Monday dinner option. [GET THE RECIPE.]

3.Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers – These stuffed bell peppers will provide the nutrition that you need for a healthy, balanced meal. [GET THE RECIPE.]

4.Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa – Start your day off right with this protein-packed breakfast bowl. [GET THE RECIPE.]

5. Roasted Shrimp Quinoa Spring Rolls – Quinoa is a wonderful protein-packed substitute for rice noodles in these easy peasy spring rolls. [GET THE RECIPE.]

6. Whole Food’s California Quinoa Salad – A healthy, nutritious copycat recipe that tastes 1000x better than the store-bought version. [GET THE RECIPE.]

7. Garlic Mushroom Quinoa – An easy, healthy side dish that you’ll want to make with every single meal. [GET THE RECIPE.]

8.Strawberry Quinoa Salad – A healthy, filling salad tossed in a sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette, creating the perfect blend of flavors. [GET THE RECIPE.]

9. Quinoa Chicken Parmesan – With an amazingly crisp quinoa crust, you’ll never guess that this is actually so healthy and packed with tons of protein. [GET THE RECIPE.]

10. Black Bean Quinoa Salad – A light and refreshingsalad tossed in an orange vinaigrette, loaded with plenty of fiber. [GET THE RECIPE.]

11. Asian Quinoa Meatballs – Perfect as a light dinner over brown rice and a side of roasted vegetables.[GET THE RECIPE.]

12. Quinoa Fruit Salad – This protein-packed salad is balanced with a tart vinaigrette and refreshing mint. [GET THE RECIPE.]

13. Broccoli Quinoa Casserole – Healthy, cheesy comfort food without any of the guilt. [GET THE RECIPE.]

14. Asian Quinoa Salad – A quick and easy healthy salad dressed in sweet and tangy Asian flavors, loaded with tons of vibrant veggies. [GET THE RECIPE.]

15. One Pan Mexican Quinoa -Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it’s so easy to make – even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan. [GET THE RECIPE.]

posted on January 14, 2015under round up
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19 comments
  1. Chi Laigo Vallido February 29, 2020 @ 12:35 PM Reply

    Your quinoa recipes are so yummy. It has been difficult making a switch from eating rice. Asians without rice? What’s up with that right? But my lab results showed that I am pre-diabetic so I need to make changes while I still have time to reverse my condition. Thank you for this. I will now be a regular follower.

  2. MaryAnn Kazmierczak January 12, 2018 @ 3:48 PM Reply

    Would love to see nutritional values of your recipes.

    • Chungah January 12, 2018 @ 3:49 PM Reply

      Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps, MaryAnn!

  3. Susanne January 12, 2018 @ 12:45 PM Reply

    Wow, what a bunch of great recipes! Thanks, Chungah. I really like quinoa & make it a lot — but never even *thought* of putting it in spring rolls or using it as “breading”! I’ll be making the quinoa garlic mushroom dish for supper tonight because I have a bunch of mushrooms I want to use up. My usual “go to” for quinoa is either a cold salad or a hot veggie dish, both made the same way: I dice raw carrot, celery, bell pepper & green onion and toss them into cooked quinoa. Add some lightly steamed broccoli, olives, feta and/or blue cheese. In the summer, I sprinkle that with some balsamic & olive oil & eat. In winter, I toss it all into the microwave & nuke it for a minute or two & eat it hot, sometimes adding cooked peas, corn and/or black beans. Delicious either way. And I always toss a spoonful or two (uncooked) into my ancient grains’n’seeds porridge. Good, and good for you — how can you not love it?

  4. Amanda September 5, 2017 @ 7:51 AM Reply

    The one pan Mexican quinoa is my new go to dish. Everyone who’s tried it has asked for the recipe so I’ve sent them to your website. It is so easy and so delicious!

  5. Taylor (Utah Health) July 30, 2017 @ 7:11 PM Reply

    I tried the Kale salad with Lemon dressing and it’s fantastic! I’ll try the Blueberry Quinoa breakfast bowl next, and I can’t wait! Thanks so much for the recipes.

  6. Nicole G March 2, 2017 @ 3:17 PM Reply

    OK, so this week I made the one pan mexican quinoa…OH.MY.GOD!! I hardly have words. My husband and I just kept looking at each other. I could eat that every day for the rest of my life – no joke!
    Tonight I made the Cheesy broccoli casserole, and again it was another hit! We were eating salads for dinner and if I eat another salad, I’ll upchuck. These are delicious, healthy and easy.
    Thank you so, so much!

  7. Abigail Murdock May 19, 2016 @ 8:50 PM Reply

    Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa sounds my type, healthy and yummy, thanks Chungah for sharing your 15 best recipes for quinoa.

  8. Mary M. Martinez March 16, 2016 @ 8:09 AM Reply

    LOVE this post! And your pictures are beautiful!

  9. Chelsea Love February 24, 2016 @ 9:38 AM Reply

    I purchased quinoa on a whim a few months ago but have been unable to find any toddler/boyfriend-friendly recipes until this list. Thanks for putting it all together!

  10. Rebecca January 17, 2015 @ 2:12 PM Reply

    These look great! I’ve had a hard time finding a variety of good quinoa recipes. So many yummy options here!

  11. Simple Green Moms January 16, 2015 @ 10:23 AM Reply

    I have always been more of a rice kinda gal, BUT some of these recipes just changed my mind! =) PINNED. Thanks for sharing!

  12. Chels January 16, 2015 @ 9:35 AM Reply

    Mmm, I love quinoa and am always looking for more ways to use it. Pinned!

    • Tina Coulombe January 12, 2018 @ 1:01 PM Reply

      I have never tried quinoa Could give me some ideal what its like Thank you

  13. Jules @ WolfItDown January 15, 2015 @ 2:28 PM Reply

    Mmm I love the flavour of quinoa, and these are all such great recipes! I would never have thought to use them in spring rolls – clever 😀 Thanks for the round-up, I’ll be sure to stock up on quinoa 😀 x

  14. Abigail January 15, 2015 @ 10:10 AM Reply

    Nom nom nom!! These look amazing

    Do you think I use botched soggy quinoa for any of these recipes and if not could you provide ideas on what I could do with it, because of my new years resolutions is not to waste food so it will be used for something even if I have to make a foot scrub out of it lol? I was going to make some fried quinoa and some barbeque chicken quinoa and I ruined two cups of dried quinoa. I’d never cooked that large an amount before, I should have stuck to making each batch separately like I had in the past lol. I did use one cup in a broccoli and cheese casserole so I chuckled a bit when I saw that recipe.

    • Chungah January 15, 2015 @ 10:18 AM Reply

      Unfortunately, I don’t have much experience using “botched soggy quinoa” before in any of my recipes! Although this quinoa veggie fried rice might be worth trying out – you’ll be adding in a ton of other veggies so it may balance out the botched quinoa!

    • kelsey August 17, 2016 @ 9:57 PM Reply

      If you over cook your quinoa chop up some herbs and jalapenos mix in some egg and panko and turn them into patties…you can freeze them and store for a later time

  15. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen January 15, 2015 @ 4:41 AM Reply

    Wow so many delicious quinoa recipes in here!

15 Best Quick and Healthy Quinoa Recipes - Damn Delicious (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat quinoa? ›

Toss it in salads.

Quinoa is a complete source of protein and makes a great addition to a healthy salad. The combination of fiber, protein and healthy fats can turn a light side salad into a robust entrée.

How to make quinoa that tastes good? ›

Meat or meat broth works very well. We primarily cook our quinoa in pork broth with bits of leftover pork chop in it, and the rich flavor from the meat tones down the flavor of the quinoa. Strong flavors like onions or spices work too. In a soup, you can add spices and other flavors like celery, carrot, etc.

What can you mix with quinoa? ›

13 Ways To Add More Flavor To Quinoa
  1. Cook it in broth instead of water. ...
  2. Dress it with a vinaigrette. ...
  3. Mix cooked quinoa with caramelized onions. ...
  4. Infuse it with dried fruit and fruit scraps. ...
  5. Add oil and salt to cooked quinoa. ...
  6. Toast uncooked quinoa. ...
  7. Don't skimp on the garlic. ...
  8. Season your water with spices.
Jul 21, 2023

What does quinoa do to your gut? ›

The bioactive components of quinoa have been shown to promote the abundance of probiotic bacteria while simultaneously inhibiting pathogens. Furthermore, quinoa-derived bioactive compounds have been shown to reduce intestinal pH and increase the production of SCFAs.

Does quinoa burn belly fat? ›

It is very healthy due to its plant chemical contents that cause the secretion of appetite-suppressing hormones that curb your appetite. 25. Quinoa: High in protein, quinoa keeps you full with its high levels of plant-based proteins. It decreases your appetite and promotes belly fat decrease.

What happens if you don't soak quinoa? ›

Do you need to soak quinoa before cooking it? In short, no, you don't need to soak quinoa. However, doing so is said to remove phytic acid, which may make it easier for people to digest quinoa. If you just want to remove the bitter flavor from quinoa, rinse it under cold water for about a minute.

Why should you soak quinoa before cooking? ›

*Soaking grains helps to remove some of the naturally occurring phytic acid in the grain, which helps improve digestibility and speed cook time. To soak: Rinse quinoa thoroughly then add to a large mixing bowl or pot and cover with twice the amount of lukewarm water (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa).

How to cook quinoa like a chef? ›

Combine the quinoa and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes more.

How not to cook quinoa? ›

It all comes down to texture. Add too little water and your grains may burn on the bottom of the pot before they cook through. Add too much water and you'll end up with soggy, overcooked, and mushy grains.

Is quinoa healthier then rice? ›

Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice. Unlike rice, quinoa fibers help to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. Unlike rice, quinoa reduces your blood fat levels after a meal called triglycerides. Quinoa has a higher amount of all essential amino acids.

Is oatmeal or quinoa better for you? ›

It is high in proteins and fiber and enriched with antioxidants that help in making the immune system stronger. You are advised to consume quinoa more in comparison to oats as quinoa will provide more health benefits in low calories.

What is the golden ratio of quinoa? ›

The golden ratio is one cup of quinoa to one and three-quarter cups of water. Using these proportions can save you from a pot of mushy, overcooked, gummy quinoa. Before cooking, you should rinse the grains to remove their saponins, or bitter-tasting compounds, and also toast them in a skillet to develop their flavor.

How to cook quinoa for best digestion? ›

If quinoa gives you digestive distress …

Cover and let sit. You can do this in the morning before you go about your day, and it will be ready for you to cook in the evening. Then drain it, wash it and cook it. Just reduce the boiling water to 1½ cups, since the quinoa will already have soaked in some liquid.

Should you stir quinoa while cooking? ›

Stay vigilant: Stir the grains constantly to avoid burning, watching for that perfect golden moment, around 6 to 8 minutes. Water is this grain's go-to companion, but other liquids–think low-sodium chicken, mushroom or vegetable broth–add flavor. Just keep the ratio 2 cups liquid to 1 cup quinoa.

Is quinoa healthy to eat everyday? ›

You can eat one-two cups of cooked quinoa in a day. You should avoid eating it if you experience stomachache, itchiness or vomiting after consuming it. A study by Harvard Public School of Health has reported that eating a bowl of quinoa daily is healthy and without any side effects.

Is quinoa better for you cooked or raw? ›

Quinoa can be eaten raw or uncooked if it is first soaked and sprouted, but some experts advise that quinoa should always be cooked, not consumed as a raw sprout. It is equally nutritious in sprout form, but cooking may be a safer and more versatile way to include it in your diet.

Is quinoa actually better for you than rice? ›

Quinoa is rich in both fiber and protein, contains a much higher amount of other nutrients, and has a similar fluffy texture to the rice. A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 g more fiber than white rice. Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice.

Is quinoa better for you than rice or pasta? ›

Quinoa not only has more protein and minerals than pasta, couscous, or rice, but it also has a more favorable glycemic index. Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food can make your blood sugar rise and it's an important metric for diabetics. The lower the number, the less a food will raise blood sugar.

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