Toasted Quinoa with Kale and Pine Nuts

by | Jun 19, 2013 | Appetizers & Snacks, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables | 4 comments

Ingredients:ToastedQuinoa_KalePinenuts

  • 1 cup quinoa (washed & drained)
  • 1.2 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 Tbl. olive oil (divided)
  • 1 3/4 cup boiling vegetable broth
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups lightly packed, chopped kale leaves
  • 1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup pin nuts (toasted)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Dry-toast the quinoa in a skillet, stirring until golden and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add salt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the broth. Set heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; the fluff with a fork.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining olive oil and garlic; saute for 30 seconds. Add kale and saute until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in quinoa, lemon juice, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste.

4 Comments

  1. Denise
    Denise on November 11, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    I followed this recipe closely, using organic chicken broth instead of vegetable and I doubled the garlic (I’m loooove garlic!) and this recipe was disappointingly bland. I toasted both the quinoa and the pine nuts and used a real lemon, not that stuff in the yellow plastic bottle, but it was… blah. I portioned it into several containers to bring to work for lunch for the week and experimented with each portion (added grated Parmesan to one, some cubed chicken to another) and it wasn’t until I added some sauteed mushrooms and onions that I got the full flavors I’d been hoping for. The result was not the vegan recipe above but it was tasty and satisfying.

    • New Frontiers
      New Frontiers on November 12, 2013 at 12:15 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe with a few of your own tweaks. I’m a garlic lover myself and usually double the amount in any recipe. I’m wondering how much salt you used? Sometimes that extra pinch can take a recipe from bland to beautiful.

  2. Denise
    Denise on November 20, 2013 at 5:38 am

    Hi!

    I did add plenty of salt (and I agree with you–I can’t tell you how many people I’ve turned into fans of avocado becase of a generous dash of salt; it really can transform from bland to YUM) and there was also salt in the chicken broth, but at least for my palate I needed the unctuous almost meaty addition of the sautéed mushrooms to satisfy me.

    • New Frontiers
      New Frontiers on November 22, 2013 at 4:01 pm

      The addition of mushrooms does sound delicious! Thank you for the tip. We’ll have to give it a try!