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  • The Main Dish
  • 30 Minutes or Less
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Quinoa Pilaf with Walnuts and Dried Cherries

8 Comments

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Quinoa Pilaf with walnuts and dried cherries. This is one amazing quinoa recipe. Walnuts, for crunch; thyme and black pepper for a nice bite.

Quinoa Pilaf with Walnuts and Dried Cherries served in a white bowl

This is my favorite way to make quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), a great substitute for rice and better for you! Not a grain, it is actually the seed of a plant related to Swiss chard, full of protein, potassium, magnesium and iron. The black pepper and ground thyme star in this great dish. Cook’s note;  I have made this quinoa pilaf with fresh thyme, dried thyme leaves (as pictured) and ground thyme. The ground thyme gives the most flavor. If using fresh or dried leaves, add more.

Try this dish and see if you don’t add it as a go-to favorite to always have in the fridge, delicious hot or cold.

Quinoa Pilaf with Walnuts and Dried Cherries

 

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5 from 3 votes

Quinoa Pilaf with Walnuts and Dried Cherries

This is a great side dish or makes a delicious lunch or snack all on its own. Serve warm, room temperature- it's even better cold! If you can find dried cherries, they are better than the cranberries because they're not overly sweet, but cranberries are still tasty. Or to make this dish even lower in sugar, omit the dried fruit altogether.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Healthy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 366
Author Good Dinner Mom

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 1 ⅛ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground Thyme
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Instructions

  • Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes.
  • While onion is cooking, rinse 2 cups quinoa in sieve.
  • Add the quinoa to the onion in Dutch oven. Stir in 1 ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon thyme. Stir in 2 cups boiling water. Cover, and gently boil for 10 minutes until the water is mostly absorbed. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has all been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup cherries and walnuts. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled (my favorite). You may omit cherries if you’re wanting to cut the sugar grams down even more and it will still be delicious!
Nutrition Facts
Quinoa Pilaf with Walnuts and Dried Cherries
Amount Per Serving
Calories 366 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Sodium 447mg19%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 732IU15%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 64mg6%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Adapted from Cooking Smart For A Healthy Heart Cookbook

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Published on March 3, 2013

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    Recipe Rating




  1. josie says

    July 6, 2022 at 7:02 AM

    5 stars
    DELICIOUS and EASY! I added fresh cherry tomatoes from my garden and it turned out amazing! Always great recipes on GDM.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      July 9, 2022 at 8:22 AM

      Thanks, Josie. This recipe is one of my first on the blog but continues to be a favorite. I’m glad you liked it too!

      Reply
  2. lashana p says

    June 30, 2022 at 6:19 AM

    5 stars
    I have made this twice now and LOVE IT! So does my husband!

    Reply
  3. Tony says

    December 6, 2021 at 7:18 PM

    5 stars
    Simple and Delicious!

    I made this with some very slight changes. I used vegetable stock, reducing salt to compensate, then included chopped dried apricots along with dried cherries.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      December 9, 2021 at 9:21 AM

      Thanks Tony! This was one of the first recipes I ever posted and remains a simple favorite. I like your changes and really appreciate you taking the time to comment. It means a lot!

      Reply
  4. Emily says

    March 13, 2013 at 5:24 PM

    I loved this hot! Or maybe I just loved it too much…none of it made it to the fridge to cool down. Five stars!

    Reply
    • gulzar khowaja says

      August 25, 2019 at 11:36 PM

      whats is small red round in vegetable quinoa pilaf with walnut

      Reply
      • Sally Humeniuk says

        August 26, 2019 at 9:24 AM

        They are dried cherries.

        Reply
About Sally - Good Dinner Mom.

About Good Dinner Mom

My name is Sally and I love to be in the kitchen. Making fresh, unique dishes is my way of showing love for family and friends and I hope that here you’ll find recipes of both healthy and indulgent dishes that will inspire you to cook more at home while sharing some love of your own. more about me

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