After all the hustle and bustle, all you need is a fulfilling, plant-based recipe to keep up with your vegan diet. Gone are the days when switching to a vegan-friendly diet was difficult and frustrating. Now, you have plenty of super foods to incorporate into your gluten-free, vegan diet. One such powerhouse is quinoa. Let’s make the Tri-color quinoa recipe.
Jazz up your dining table with this yummy, holy grail tricolor quinoa recipe. Make it a full meal by adding salads or a tangy, whole grain mustard dressing.
Tri-color Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients Â
- 1 cup tri-color quinoa
- 1 tbsp extra  virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- One and a half cup vegetable/chicken broth or water
InstructionsÂ
- Thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa
- Notice how much water is still left in the soaked quinoa. Maintain the standard ratio of 1:2 (quinoa to water)
- If your quinoa is drenched in water, reduce the water to one and a half cups per cup of quinoa
- Take a medium-sized saucepan and add quinoa along with vegetable/chicken broth or water
- Bring it to a boil
- Keep the flame low. Cover the saucepan and let the quinoa simmer for about 12-15 minutes
- Cook until the water is fully absorbed
- When it’s fully cooked, quinoa will turn soft and translucent. You’ll be able to see the white germ clearly
- Use a fork and fluff the cooked quinoa
- That’s it!Â
Alternatively, you can also cook the quinoa in a pressure cooker or a microwave. Follow these steps and you’ll be good to go!
- For the microwave: First off, make sure that the utensil you’re using is microwave safe.
- Next, add one cup of tri-color quinoa along with one and a half cups of water/broth. Cover the bowl and microwave for about 4 minutes. Stir and microwave again for another 2 minutes.Â
- For the instant pressure cooker: if you’re running errands, cooking quinoa in a pressure cooker is the most fool-proof way to prepare your meal in a jiffy. Just add a cup of water with quinoa and cook for 1 minute. If you feel that your quinoa is getting mushy, pour in ¼ cup more water.
Side Dishes for Tri-color Quinoa
Kale is one of the best veggies to include in a hearty, zesty salad. Just grab some sliced kale, drizzle with olive oil, lemon, black pepper and you’re good to go. Having quinoa along with this healthy kale salad is a good option for a quick, fulfilling lunch.
If you’re on a strict diet, a refreshing spinach salad will be the best fit for you!
Spinach purifies the blood and tastes amazing with tomatoes and cucumbers. You can also add cashews and pumpkin seeds to make them more nutritious.
Boston lettuce is another salad that goes well with quinoa. If you’re cutting down your portions, lettuce is the best option out there since it’s a water-rich food and keeps you full for longer. For a tangy flavor, you can add lemon, mustard, and olive oil.
Tomatoes, onions, eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers baked with olive oil and black pepper make the most hearty side dish. That’s right, roasted veggies are a Mediterranean specialty and many people prefer it as their go-to side dish with quinoa.Â
Tips to Cook the Perfect Quinoa
- It’s essential to rinse the quinoa before cooking. Water helps to remove the bitter taste, also called sapiens, which is naturally present in the grain.Â
- One cup of dry quinoa expands into 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Remember to keep the ratio consistent.
More Quinoa Recipes
Miss your chicken meals? Fret no more and try out this budget-friendly Quinoa brown Rice meal. It’s scrumptious and will give you all the flavors of chicken and spices that you’ve been missing.
How about some spicy Thai chili? Feed your taste buds with the mouth-watering Spicy Thai Chili Quinoa Chickpea bowl.Â
Fancy a burrito? If you’re craving burgers, try out this Mexican Style Tricolor Quinoa Burrito. It’s low in sodium and loaded with veggies, making it the perfect meal for lunch and dinner.
Storing Quinoa
Quinoa tends to dry out pretty quickly once fully cooked. It stays fresh only for about 2 hours at room temperature.
If you’re willing to store it for later use, let it cool down and place it in an airtight container. You can store the tri color quinoa recipe for 5 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer.
I am a yogi with a smoldering passion for nutrition and healthy living. I have been a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach for over 11 years and now I want to help you. My mission is to inspire as many people as I can to expand their awareness and broaden their horizons by giving a voice to the choices that create abundant, radiant health. Here I share deliciously simple plant-based recipes, nutrition resources, detox tips, and a glimpse into my whole lifestyle.