Best Lemony Quinoa Recipes

LEMONY QUINOA-AND-SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a small pot, bring broth, dill sprig, lemon peel, and garlic to a boil. Season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover; remove dill sprig and lemon peel. Increase heat to medium-high and add quinoa; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, chopped dill, and lemon juice. Drizzle with oil, season with pepper, and serve.

LEMONY QUINOA

Steps:

• Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes, and stir constantly as they will burn easily. Set aside to cool.
• In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.
• Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, onion, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving.

TOASTED-QUINOA SAUTE WITH LEMONY CABBAGE AND DILL

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Stir in quinoa and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook until water evaporates and quinoa is dry and tender, about 5 minutes (stir frequently to prevent scorching).
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown in places, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining cabbage.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Return sauteed cabbage to skillet, add quinoa, and raise heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is toasted and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chickpeas, olives, and lemon zest and juice, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in dill, and serve with yogurt.

LEMONY QUINOA

Steps:

• Rinse quinoa under cold water until it stops bubbling (much like you would with canned beans.).
• In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add quinoa.
• Cook for about 4 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
• Add broth, salt and basil.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until broth is entirely absorbed.
• Fluff with a fork. Let sit until slightly cooled.
• Add lemon juice and parsley, fluffing with fork until well combined.

LEMONY CHICKEN-QUINOA SOUP

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a pot with broth, parsley and thyme sprigs, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate. Strain broth and return to pot along with onion, carrots, and celery. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard chicken skin and bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces; return to pot with quinoa and lemon slices. Simmer until quinoa is warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season, and serve topped with parsley leaves and a drizzle of oil.

LEMONY QUINOA WITH CHICKPEAS AND HUCKLEBERRIES

Steps:

• Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is soft and water has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.
• Heat a small skillet over medium heat; toast sunflower kernels in hot skillet until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and fluff with a fork; add sunflower kernels, chickpeas, huckleberries, carrot, onion, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gently stir the salad until thoroughly mixed; season with salt and pepper.

LEMONY QUINOA AND ASPARAGUS WITH SHRIMP SCAMPI

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the center position, place an ovenproof serving dish on rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large nonstick saute pan set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until quinoa smells toasty, about 4 minutes. Add 2 3/4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is just tender, about 12 minutes. Off heat, sprinkle the asparagus over the quinoa, replace the cover, and set pan aside until quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid and the asparagus is tendercrisp, about 12 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice, season with black pepper and additional salt, if desired, and stir. Transfer the quinoa to the warmed serving dish, spread it out to make a bed, and place in the oven to keep warm. Wipe out the saute pan with a paper towel, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and set over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add half of the shrimp and cook, without moving, until they begin to turn opaque, about 1 minute. Quickly turn the shrimp and cook until fully opaque, about 45 seconds longer, and transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, and repeat the process to cook the remaining shrimp. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan, place over medium-low heat, and when the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add the wine and a pinch of cayenne and stir to blend. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the pan, add the parsley, season with salt to taste, and stir to combine. Remove the serving dish from the oven, pour the shrimp and its juices over the bed of quinoa, and serve at once.

LEMONY QUINOA-AND-SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a small pot, bring broth, dill sprig, lemon peel, and garlic to a boil. Season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover; remove dill sprig and lemon peel. Increase heat to medium-high and add quinoa; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, chopped dill, and lemon juice. Drizzle with oil, season with pepper, and serve.