Pantry Staples That Do it All: Quinoa

One of my most-used pantry staples is quinoa! It's a nutritious, versatile addition to a huge variety of recipes, and my Quinoa Recipe Roundup will show you all the ways you can use this complete protein to add delicious substance to your meals.

One of my main pantry staples in quinoa. It's inexpensive, easy to store and prepare, and since it absorbs flavor wonderfully, it's also really versatile. It also adds a great, fluffy texture to many of my favorite dishes! A big part of my Weekly Vegan Meal Prep is preparing as much quinoa as possible, since I know I'll be using it to mix into salads, as a base for veggie bowls, and even as an ingredient in sweeter energy bites. I usually buy quinoa in bulk because we use it so quickly! This post is a full Quinoa Recipe Roundup, starting with the quick and easy ways I prepare quinoa to be added into my favorite recipes throughout the week.

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All About Quinoa

Fun fact: quinoa has more protein than any other grain! Quinoa is also loaded with fiber (one serving has over 5 grams) and is considered a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids. This makes it a great source of plant-based protein for vegans. Quinoa is also a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals. It offers important minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc. I'm so excited for this Quinoa Recipe Roundup to show you all the ways you can add it into your diet!

Fall & Winter Quinoa Salads

Quinoa is one of the best ways to add nutrition and bulk to a salad! I love using quinoa to turn a bowl of veggies into a filling, satisfying meal. The salads in this Quinoa Recipe Roundup combine sweet and savory flavors with seasonal fall and winter produce to create dishes that are so, so enjoyable.

Simple Summer Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Spring & Summer Quinoa Salads

Prepping quinoa makes it SO easy to add it into salads like these spring and summer ones! I store it in the fridge and add a scoop or two to pretty much any meal I make, especially when I'm feeling extra hungry and want a dish that will keep me full for a while. These salads are my favorites for the warmer months; they're bright and refreshing with seasonal produce!

Mediterranean Food with Quinoa

I LOVE Mediterranean food. It's filled with produce, legumes, and whole grains, and you know I love any cuisine that includes my Quick & Easy Creamy Hummus! These dishes use fresh and bright cucumbers, protein-filled chickpeas, flavorful red onion, and I love topping Mediterranean dishes with VioLife or Trader Joe's vegan feta!

Vegetarian Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mexican Food with Quinoa

Mexican food is a really versatile option for vegans. I love that I can include black beans and quinoa for plant-based protein, and the veggies are all so bright and colorful! The Mexican Quinoa Salad is my go-to lunch and I make it almost every week. It's so flavorful and satisfying!

Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma Quinoa Bowl Recipe

Quinoa Dinners

The dinners in this Quinoa Recipe Roundup are so good, just listing them out made me hungry! I probably include quinoa in one meal a day, and most of the time it's dinner. Every one of these recipes uses quinoa as a base for substance and nutrition, and then layers on tasty flavors to spice it up and get you looking forward to dinner all day long.

Quinoa Side Dishes

I think most people consider quinoa a side dish by itself, but I think it's best when mixed into recipes that make it a bit more exciting! My Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots are an absolute favorite of my kids, and I love using my Quinoa Stuffing as a gluten-free and vegan option for Thanksgiving.

Energy Bites Made with Quinoa

This might be the most unexpected way that I use quinoa! Quinoa adds awesome texture and structure to these bite recipes, and since it absorbs flavor, it works as well with the sweeter flavors as it does with savory ones! Meal prepping a ton of quinoa at the beginning of the week makes it really easy to grab a scoop to add into these recipes.

I hope this post inspires you to use quinoa in new and interesting ways! Remember to post about your kitchen adventures and tag me on Instagram so I can cheer you on. You can also subscribe to my newsletter to get weekly cooking inspiration right in your inbox, along with a free download that has 10 Easy Vegan Dinners!