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.
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.
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Quinoa Salad
- Plant-Powered Fall Quinoa & Arugula Salad with Apples and Figs
- Spinach Quinoa Beet Salad with Roasted Blueberry Vinaigrette
- Spiralized Radish & Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Pepitas
- Pecan-Encrusted Delicata Squash & Kale Salad
- One Pot Sweet-and-Spiced Quinoa Lentil Salad
- Vegan Protein Kale Salad
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!
- Simple Summer Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Mango-Avocado Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pepitas
- Berry-Cherry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts
- Watermelon Arugula Mason Jar Salad with Quinoa, Avocado, and Pine Nuts
- Crispy Quinoa & Avocado Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Protein-Packed Slaw with Cilantro and Lime
- Jennifer Aniston Viral Tik Tok "Perfect Salad"
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!
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!
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!
More Vegan Cooking Resources
- The Pantry Staple That Does It All: Over 30 Recipes with Chickpeas!
- Seasonal vegan and gluten-free meal plans: Fall Meal Plan, Spring Meal Plan, Summer Meal Plan, Winter Meal Plan
- My Vegan & Gluten-Free Pantry Staples
- Our Family Weekly Meal Plan, My Weekly Meal Plan, and Combat the Nightly “What’s for Dinner?”
- My Ultimate Guide: Gluten-Free Product Recommendations & Helpful Resources
- My Favorite Dairy-Free Swaps
- Nourish in the New Year: 135+ Vegan & Gluten-Free Recipes
Leave a Reply