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  • The Main Dish
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Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto

13 Comments

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Quinoa with broccoli pesto. Made with fresh and flavorful ingredients. Brocolli, quinoa, garlic, almonds, parmesan, olive oil and red chile oil.

Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto topped with chopped almonds in a white bowl

Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto is so delicious and easy. It’s love at first bite when all the fresh and creamy flavors come together. Broccoli pesto?  Really? Really….

Broccoli Pesto in a white bowl

Broccoli, almonds, parmesan cheese, olive oil, cream and garlic! Cook’s note to my vegan friends: I list vegan substitutes in the recipe below. One optional topping is the red chile oil recipe below. Promise me you will add it. Except for the kids… They should pass on the fire oil, but with all the other good flavors, this might be the new way to get them to eat their broccoli. This tastes even better the following day so it’s a wonderful make-ahead dish.

Quinoa and Broccoli topped with avocados and chopped almonds in a white bowl

 

Broccoli quinoa
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5 from 6 votes

Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto

Course Vegetarian Main Dish or Side
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Calories 359
Author Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 5 cups fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (about 2 good size broccoli crowns)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
  • ⅔ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted and divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Juice from one fresh lemon, about 2 Tablespoons
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Optional Toppings:

  • chopped basil, red chile oil (recipe below), sliced avocado

To make this dish Vegan:

  • Substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk. For the parmesan, you can use Parma, or add about ¼ cup sesame seeds in place of the parmesan.

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water until boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when the seeds have sprouted. Set aside.
  • Heat a large pot of water to boiling and add 5 cups broccoli. Cook just long enough to take the raw taste out and until broccoli is bright green. About 90 seconds. Drain broccoli and rinse with cold water to stop broccoli from continuing to cook. Set aside.

To make the Broccoli Pesto:

  • Puree 2 cups cooked broccoli, 4 garlic, ⅓ cup almonds, ⅓ cup parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil and cream and pulse until nearly smooth.
  • Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining 3 cups broccoli florets with the broccoli pesto. Taste and you might decide to add more lemon juice or salt at this time. Add remaining ⅓ cup parmesan cheese and and ⅓ cup almonds. Add more if you like.
  • Spoon mixture onto serving platter or plates. Add toppings of your choice. I highly recommend the sliced avocado and liberal amounts of the red chile oil.

To Make the Red Chile Oil:

  • Heat ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small saucepan until heated, but not so hot that it smokes. Turn off the heat and stir in 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool. This is good prepared the day before and kept in refrigerator overnight. Bring back to room temperature again before using.
Nutrition Facts
Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 406mg18%
Potassium 509mg15%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 705IU14%
Vitamin C 68.2mg83%
Calcium 225mg23%
Iron 2.5mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

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Published on April 15, 2013

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    Recipe Rating




  1. amy chapman says

    July 7, 2022 at 6:23 AM

    5 stars
    This was a huge hit and will definitely make it often!

    Reply
  2. janice says

    July 7, 2022 at 6:20 AM

    5 stars
    This was SO GOOD! I added ham and it came out perfectly. Thanks for sharing Sally 🙂

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      July 8, 2022 at 10:11 AM

      Hi Janice, wow, what a good idea. Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  3. shelly says

    April 2, 2022 at 10:48 AM

    5 stars
    Quick and easy for a main dish or a side dish. I added sliced carrots at the end. My husband had seconds! We both loved it!

    Reply
  4. brynn haley says

    April 2, 2022 at 10:46 AM

    5 stars
    This was deeeeeeelicious. I love pesto, so this was perfect for me. I felt like it needed something else, though… so I added grilled chicken and it was great. Thank you Sally for sharing this wonderful recipe.

    Reply
  5. sabrina p says

    April 2, 2022 at 10:42 AM

    5 stars
    WOW! Can I give this 10 stars?! That broccoli pesto is the best thing I’ve ever tasted!

    Reply
  6. Lucía says

    January 27, 2021 at 6:59 PM

    5 stars
    Delicious. Highly recommended

    Reply
  7. Jfmaine says

    June 12, 2014 at 6:24 PM

    Just made this tonight! It was delicious! We always enjoy finding new quinoa recipes. I might roast the garlic next time to smooth out the bite. Thanks for posting it!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      June 13, 2014 at 3:56 PM

      I’m so glad it was a hit for you. I like that idea of mellowing out the garlic. Thanks for your comment.

      Reply
  8. Kareen says

    January 5, 2014 at 12:56 AM

    Made this last night – it was fantastic! My nephew who does not like broccoli had triple helpings and then put the leftover pesto on crostini crackers! Fantastic! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 5, 2014 at 7:45 AM

      Kareen, this is a great recipe for broccoli “haters”. I’m glad you all liked it. Thanks for your comment!

      Reply
  9. Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says

    April 27, 2013 at 6:23 PM

    Yum! Broccoli pesto looks absolutely divine!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 27, 2013 at 8:41 PM

      It really is. I hope you try it.

      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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