Description
Fluffy quinoa, herby lemony basil pesto and perfectly roasted veggies all mixed together to form this hearty, satisfying and delicious recipe that is gluten-free, vegetarian and comes together in 30 minutes or less!
Ingredients
Scale
For the roasted vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 green bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1/2 red or white onion (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 cup fresh broccoli (chopped)
- 1 cup sliced baby bella or button mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
For the quinoa
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock or water
For the basil pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp pistachios
Instructions
Roast the veggies
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place all of the chopped veggies into a medium-size mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle in the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat all of the veggies. Place the veggies in a single layer onto the baking sheet and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Cook the quinoa
- Add the dry quinoa to a medium-size pot. Pour in the veggie stock and stir. Bring the quinoa and stock to a boil on the stovetop, cover, reduce to simmer and let that cook for 12-15 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.
Make the homemade pesto
- Place all ingredients except the olive oil and pistachios into a food processor and pulse while drizzling in the olive oil until everything is combined. Add in the pistachios and pulse a few times to break them down.
Assemble
- Pour the quinoa and roasted veggies into a large serving bowl and toss. Add in the pesto and stir to combine everything together. Serve warm and enjoy!!!!!
Notes
- Make this low-carb. For a low-carb option, you can swap the quinoa with cauliflower rice. You can spread the cauliflower rice onto a baking sheet, drizzle it with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast it for about 10 minutes with the veggies and then mix it in with the veggies and pesto. So good! Although, If I have the carbs left for the day, I prefer the quinoa of course.
- Add some extra protein. This recipe is great for adding any extra proteins you have on hand like chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, or even sliced grilled chicken.
- Make this vegan. Simply omit the parmesan in the pesto and this is fully vegan and dairy-free. You could also sub the parmesan with vegan parmesan cheese if you still want that cheesy taste without the dairy.
- Change up the veggies. Use any veggies that are good for roasting like cauliflower, parsnips, or butternut squash.
- This stores in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You can also store the ingredients separately for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Healthy Side Dishes
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
