Community Pick
Quinoa Stir Fry With Spinach & Walnuts
"Found this in Prevention Magazine, this is easy, healthy and most importantly...very tasty. You can substitute any cheese for the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I recommend a strong hard cheese, but I have used all kinds and they all work. When I’m in a rush, I leave out the walnut pieces. A great side dish or when I am really lazy, add some cooked chicken for a great meal."
photo by DianaEatingRichly
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa (measured dry)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon minced garlic clove
- 1⁄2 cup walnut pieces
- baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup grape tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1⁄2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
- fresh basil leaf (to garnish) (optional)
directions
- Place quinoa in small bowl, add water to cover, and swish to rinse. Pour into mesh strainer and drain well.
- Heat oil in medium skillet. Add quinoa. Toast, stirring, over medium heat until golden (about 10 minutes) Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add salt and 2 cups of water. Heat to boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Spread walnuts in small skillet and stir over medium-low heat until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- When quinoa is cooked, add spinach and tomatoes to skillet. Stir fry over medium heat until spinach is almost wilted and tomatoes are warmed, about 1 minute. Stir in walnuts and cheese. Garnish with basil. Serve warm.
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Reviews
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Not seeing it mentioned by anyone else, but I soaked my quinoa for about 18 hours before use (1 cup quinoa to 3 cups water & 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar for better assimilation of nutrients) and per other reviewer's recommendations, I used 4 times the minced garlic & added in diced onions & mushrooms when I put the garlic in. Used 2.5 cups of spinach & could have used another cup or two I think without it being too much. It was *fantastic* we absolutely loved it! This was my first try with quinoa & I think this recipe will become a staple- my picky DH really liked it, as did I & our 2 yr old. Our 5 yr old twins were harder to convince, but once they gave it a try they did like it as well. Thanks for sharing this great recipe! -
Love. It. This has become one of my regular go to recipes. I usually use a bit more garlic and include onions. Thanks for sharing! -
Before today I had only tried quinoa with fruit - I was never very impressed. This recipe was the perfect combination of flavors... A definite must try if you are quinoa shy. The tomatoes and baby spinach give it a delicate sweet flavor and the cheese a mild salty flavor. Toasting the walnuts in advance enhance their nuttiness and make this recipe... well... perfect! -
I've never tasted or eaten quinoa before but this was yummy! I did toast the quinoa first, as per recipe 16399. This recipe doesn't mention how much salt to use, so I went with about a teaspoon. Also it does not say how much spinach, so I used about two cups. Will definitely make again. -
Toasting the quinoa is key and I will do this for all quinoa recipes in the future because otherwise I find it to be "raw" tasting. You can toast it in bigger batches ahead of time in a dry pan also. I used toasted pine nuts in place of the walnuts and I think it was a great flavor combination. I loved it, a friend of mine loved it, kids were lukewarm and husband also liked it. I will definitely make it again.
see 38 more reviews
Tweaks
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Nice one skillet recipe by toasting the walnuts first and then setting aside. I used tricolor quinoa, toasted it, and used stock to cook the quinoa, but felt the dish needed bit more flavor. Added a little red wine vinegar, and a couple more cloves of garlic. Lots of chopped basil, and some chopped green onions as well.
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Sorry, we didn't like this. It was very bland. Might be better if I used broth instead of water and seriously bumped up the seasonings. Also the recipe says to add salt but doesn't list it as an ingredient or say how much. I used about 1 tsp as another reviewer suggested. Wish I could rate this higher but I expected better after all the rave reviews. -
This recipe won approval from all at my house. My husband used to be wary of vegetarian dishes. He's come a long way, but even I was surprised how he said how good this was several times. It was very satisfying and filling. The toasted almonds really make the dish in my opinion. I used mozzarella cheese in place of parmesan because that is what I had at the time. It was very good and I will be making it again for sure!
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Toasting the quinoa is key and I will do this for all quinoa recipes in the future because otherwise I find it to be "raw" tasting. You can toast it in bigger batches ahead of time in a dry pan also. I used toasted pine nuts in place of the walnuts and I think it was a great flavor combination. I loved it, a friend of mine loved it, kids were lukewarm and husband also liked it. I will definitely make it again.
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Thanks for making my first Quinoa try a fabulous success! I served it with Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken from the market so I used chicken broth instead of the water. My boyfriend thought it was fantastic and asked that I make this again-soon!
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