Try this Herbed Quinoa recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 238.295677787177 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 74.8656097766723 g
- Fiber 25.8279382933684 g
- Protein 58.8177079944277 g
- Saturated Fat 9.88081973358586 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (1275g)
- Sodium 1697.47939697665 mg
- Sugar 212.467739493809 g
- Trans Fat 3.08014168608319 g
- Calories 1831 calories
Step-by-step
- For the quinoa: In a medium sauce pan, add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.
- Dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, then taste.
- Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
Why does cooking grain in stock rather than plain water transform the final dish so fundamentally? Simmering quinoa in chicken stock forces the starches within each seed to gelatinize in an amino acid-rich environment, absorbing savory depth as the liquid reduces. Combining fresh lemon juice directly into the cooking liquid brightens the baseline flavor before the raw dressing even touches the grains.
- Rinse the quinoa through a fine-mesh sieve for 60 seconds before cooking to strip away bitter saponins.
- Simmer the grain on medium-low heat for exactly 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat source and let it steam covered for 10 minutes to firm up the individual spirals.
- Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice vigorously in a small bowl until emulsified before folding in tender herbs like basil, parsley, and thyme.
- Substitute water or vegetable broth for the chicken stock at a 1:1 ratio if managing dietary preferences.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Fat from the olive oil coats the tongue, mutates the sharpness of the citrus, and carries fat-soluble aromatic compounds from the chopped herbs through every bite. Precision in timing prevents the delicate seeds from turning into a dense paste.
