| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large or 4 small shallots, chopped
- 1 small red pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa
- 1/4 cup white wine, such as pinot grigio
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 packed cup arugula, chopped
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Cook’s Note: To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan or a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Make a space in the center of the vegetables and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until all of the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the arugula, almonds, mint, cucumber and lemon zest and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 469 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 510 mg |
Reviews
Make it all the time!! I love this recipe and take it to parties all the time and have shred the recipe several times
I thought it turned out great! I followed what she wrote for the most part, but made sure to rinse my quinoa before after reading a comment. And I left out the mint because of personal preference, I didn’t measure my seasoning, and added the juice of half a lemon
Some quinoa is pre washed
I love it!!
I thought this recipe was pretty decent and checked all the boxes for flavor and texture. I’m surprised that Giada didn’t include in the directions to rinse the quinoa thoroughly before adding. Quinoa seeds are coated in a natural substance called saponin and can give it a soapy or BITTER taste to the finished product if not washed. I didn’t like quinoa for a long time because I wasn’t aware of this. This is a good basic recipe for a healthy pilaf dish.
I love quinoa, I did not like this at all! It tasted bitter and did not have a lot of flavor. I wasted so much money when I threw it in the trash. This recipe sounds much better than it is. I thought about trying to tweak it to make it better but decided not to throw any more money away. I will not make this again,
Not bad, but Somewhat too bitter/ sour for my taste. Many other quinoa recipes out there that I prefer. Won’t make this one again.
I love quinoa and have been looking for different recipes for it. This is a great one. I would consider replacing 1/4 cup of chicken stock with 1/4 cup of lemon juice for more of a punch.
I’ve made this recipe countless times and its consistently excellent. I have changed ingredients occasionally and I find its always better when i stick to the original recipe. So fresh, thank you!
Great quinoa recipe. Followed the recipe word for word and came out with great results. I changed my mom’s viewpoint of quinoa from weird food to amazing grain. Very healthy, fresh, hearty, earthy and easy to make. My teenage brother had 2 bowls and then stopped eating. Rinsing the quinoa posed a small issue, since I did not have the correct strainer. When attempting to rinse the quinoa, you must have a mesh strainer with very small holes, as the grains of quinoa are small and could easily fall through a strainer with large holes. Quinoa is awesome and so is this recipe!