Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Vegetarian Main Dish or Side
Servings: 6
Calories: 359kcal
Author: Sally Humeniuk
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.
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.
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 68.2mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 2.5mg