I love a good one-pot dish, but sometimes it’s just not possible. This simple recipe is a good example. Oh, how I would have loved to have figured out a way to make it without using three separate pans. I combined steps as much as possible, quick-cooking the asparagus and zucchini in the same pot as the edamame, but my husband was still greeted with a pile of pots to clean after dinner.
Nevertheless, I think he’d agree that the meal was worth the clean-up. I served the quinoa along with a simple green salad for a meal that tasted fresh, healthy, and decidedly springish. (Yes, springish. It’s my new word and I plan to spread it around!) I kept the seasoning light to allow the fresh flavors of the vegetables to shine though, but feel free to add more to your taste. Or, if you have fresh herbs on-hand, I know they’d take this vegan quinoa dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Spring Green Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 (about 1 ounce) sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
- 10 ounces frozen edamame (2 cups)
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 3 -4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano (more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon basil (more to taste)
- 1 generous pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (more to taste)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa well in a fine-mesh strainer. Put it in a pot with the water, 1 clove of minced garlic, and the sun-dried tomato and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook until water is absorbed and grain is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered.
- While the quinoa is cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil (Dutch oven sized, about 1/2 full). When it reaches a boil, add the frozen edamame. Return to boil and cook for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and zucchini and cook until they are tender but still crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large serving bowl. Add the quinoa and toss well.
- In a small non-stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable broth. (If you’re not following a strict fat-free diet, you may use 1 tsp. of olive oil.) Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Add the remaining broth, oregano, basil, and red pepper. Simmer, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over quinoa and mix well. Taste and add additional seasonings, including lemon juice, as needed. Serve warm.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 25 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Makes 4 large servings. Per serving: 270 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (19% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 168mg Sodium; 8g Fiber.
vegandietguy says
Hi, Susan.
I had a zucchini, and asparagus in the fridge, then I saw fresh edamame at the entrance to the grocery store (we live in Tokyo), so this recipe was perfect vehicle for them. I started out by shucking the edamame raw, but it was taking so long that I decided to boil them a few minutes first then fire them out of their shells like we do when eating them as a snack. In the end, the whole bag of fresh edamame only yielded about 1/2 cup of beans, but the recipe was still a hit. Is there some reason you recommended frozen edamame (other than availability), and does 2 cups refer to them before shucked or after?
BTW, I always love visiting your site, and don’t know how in the world you find time to try so many different recipes!
William
SusanV says
Hi William,
The two cups refers to shelled edamame, which we can buy frozen here, already shelled. I really should have mentioned that in the recipe, so thanks for pointing that out. As you can imagine, having the edamame pre-shelled is a big time-saver.
Thanks for your complements on my site. To tell the truth, lately I feel like I haven’t had the time or inspiration that I once had. Sometimes I think that I’ve already cooked everything there is to cook–after the basics, it’s just a matter of slight variations.
Rebecca says
This recipe was delisious!
I love quinoa and edamame so I knew I had to make this. I looked in the freezer however and noticed we ran out of edamame and at the store they were out to! So I decided to swap them with normal frozen peas. It was still amazing with just the perfect taste from the lemon. I will have to make this again when I get more edamame. 🙂
Thanks!
Lynne says
Adding this to my must tries. Don’t worry about not feeling creative lately. I love trying your past recipes and no one minds.
KBeane says
I made this last night for my husband and I and it was delicious! I served it with lemon rosemary baked tofu and have leftovers of both for lunch. Thanks for posting, I highly suggest this one to any quinoa lovers.
Crystal says
I made this the other night and after getting the quinoa and veggies mixed together my husband and I tasted it and the sauce separately and decided not to use the sauce as we are not huge fans of lemon. We loved it and so did our sometimes picky 12 and 9 year old daughters!
Jessica says
Perfect! I have two bunches of asparagus to use.
Julie says
I made this tonight, and it was delicious. I used fresh basil and oregano and I think that made all the difference. Yummy!
Christine.. says
Help..I just made this and it seemed to taste really bland. I am just starting to cook with more veggies and whole grains omitting a lot of salt and oil…What did I do wrong or what can I add to make it more tasty…
I am sure it is me and not the recipe..
Susan Voisin says
When you’re just beginning to cook with less salt, things can taste very bland. Try increasing the other seasonings and maybe squeezing on a little lemon juice just before serving.
Lindsay says
This looks delicious but I’m not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes. Could I use chopped roasted red peppers instead? Or are the sun-dried tomatoes key to the flavor?
Love your site!