Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf (Printer-Friendly)

Fluffy quinoa tossed with seasonal roasted vegetables, aromatic spices, and fresh herbs for a nutritious, colorful grain bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 small zucchini, diced
05 - 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 1 small red onion, diced
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Fresh Herbs & Finish

14 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, optional
16 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F
02 - On a large baking sheet, toss bell pepper, zucchini, carrot, red onion, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper
03 - Roast vegetables in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and tender
04 - Combine rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes
05 - Fluff quinoa with a fork
06 - In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, thyme, and smoked paprika
07 - Add cooked quinoa and roasted vegetables to the skillet. Toss gently to combine and warm through
08 - Remove from heat. Add parsley, mint if using, and lemon juice. Toss well and adjust seasoning as needed
09 - Serve warm or at room temperature

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, and your kitchen smells absolutely incredible while it cooks.
  • The vegetables get deeply golden and sweet from roasting, which makes the whole dish taste like you've been cooking all day when you really haven't.
  • This pilaf is genuinely good cold the next morning, making it the rare recipe that gets better in the fridge instead of worse.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step with quinoa—the natural coating tastes bitter and can ruin an otherwise perfect dish, a lesson I learned by skipping it once and regretting it.
  • Your vegetables need to roast long enough to actually caramelize, which is what transforms them from boring side dish vegetables into the reason people reach for seconds.
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables to roughly the same size so they roast at the same rate and finish golden at the same moment instead of some being dried out and others still raw.
  • Don't crowd the baking sheet—give the vegetables room to spread out so they actually roast and develop color instead of steaming in a pile.
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