One-Pot Wonders
One-Pot Kale & Quinoa Pilaf
Popular on Food52
455 Reviews
Susan
January 11, 2024
I also made it with chicken broth instead of water and also used regular lemon and olive oil. Our guests loved it and it makes alot so great for leftovers.
MJO
May 22, 2023
I cooked the quinoa for one minute in my Instant Pot. Once pressure came down I opened it and stirred in the kale and scallions and put the top back on. I used smoked olive oil instead of walnut oil. When ready to serve I put goat cheese and toasted pine nuts on top. Very delicious!
RCatsville
April 29, 2023
This recipe would be much improved with salted chicken broth as the base vs salted water. Toast pine nuts with Ras El Hanout seasoning blend (about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon) or another Moroccan-inspired blend and set spices and nuts aside (not combined with liquid ingredients). Sautee 1 clove of garlic with the chopped white scallion bits and then add the chicken stock base to the sauteed ingredients, then quinoa, etc. Top with the lemon juice, cheese, and pine nuts at the end. Garnish with the chopped green scallion bits.
Lisa
April 11, 2024
i like your additions, as i've been to Morocco and have fond memories of the food there. agree with the salted broth, i'd use pistachios instead of pine nuts for personal preference. i think feta cheese would also be good if one isn't partial to goat cheese! and obviously - garlic. *in everything* !
Michelle
March 18, 2023
I’ve been making this for years and love it. I have substituted walnuts for pine nuts, regular lemon for Meyer lemon, olive oil for walnut oil, and feta for goat cheese- all of those work out well.
Lisa K.
February 28, 2023
I make this all the time. It is great, simple, and works for quick lunch or dinner. I always use all of the lemon juice.
commonsensediet
January 24, 2023
This is a great recipe and it's perfect for lunch or dinner. Kale and quinoa are star ingredients and are very nutritious. You can also add some extra lean protein like salmon, cottage cheese or turkey if your active lifestyle demands a protein boost. Or if you're an athlete, try supplementing with a protein powder: https://www.dietofcommonsense.com/blog/
curt312
October 24, 2021
This recipe is really delicious. I was able to cook Kale and Quinoa in Instant Pot with veggie broth. (pressure cook for 3min, and let rest for 10min) then add to other ingredients in a separate bowl. Does not need much salt. Lemon juice does a good job at seasoning.
Kristin
January 13, 2021
This was a perfect accompaniment to a main protein - meatballs in this case - with its lightness and varied flavors. Love that it can be riffed on plus anything with lemon! I skipped the nuts but added more olive oil, used some goat cheese plus some fresh mozzarella which melted nicely, plus added a bit of crushed red pepper for more heat. Delicious one-pot dishes like this hold special powers! This one's a keeper!
Kristin
January 13, 2021
This was a perfect accompaniment to a main protein - meatballs in this case - with its lightness and varied flavors. Love that it can be riffed on plus anything with lemon! I skipped the nuts but added more olive oil, used some goat cheese plus some fresh mozzarella which melted nicely, plus added a bit of crushed red pepper for more heat. Delicious one-pot dishes like this hold special powers! This one's a keeper!
Jennifer M.
January 10, 2021
I don’t know why this is so delicious but it is. The perfect combination of flavors. I used toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts and just a little shaved Romano instead of goat cheese. Roasted walnut oil is amazing. Wow. This recipes goes in the favorite pile.
Deborah S.
October 8, 2020
Absolutely delicious! I used some finely diced red onion instead of scallions but otherwise followed the recipe exactly! This is a keeper!
Jc
April 19, 2020
Riffed on this for lunch today.
In the quarantined make do atmosphere beet greens and radish leaves stood in for kale. Farmers Cheese stood in for goat cheese. Raw cashews, toasted, for pine nuts; and sunflower oil...
Skipped the scallions. Added abit of aleppo peppet,chopped cucumber and rasish to the salad bowl. Other than that,followed the revipe to the letter. 😇
Good stuff
In the quarantined make do atmosphere beet greens and radish leaves stood in for kale. Farmers Cheese stood in for goat cheese. Raw cashews, toasted, for pine nuts; and sunflower oil...
Skipped the scallions. Added abit of aleppo peppet,chopped cucumber and rasish to the salad bowl. Other than that,followed the revipe to the letter. 😇
Good stuff
jpriddy
December 27, 2019
For vegans, use oven-roasted halved little tomatoes and something else for a bit of zing—extra pepper and green onion, red pepper flakes, cumin? Cucumber? Fine-sliced fennel?
I frequently cook several grains together with an Asian spice mix: rice, garbanzo beans, quinoa, pre-soaked beans, lentils.
And since I have nut allergies in my family, smoked salmon works instead for a great flavor.
I frequently cook several grains together with an Asian spice mix: rice, garbanzo beans, quinoa, pre-soaked beans, lentils.
And since I have nut allergies in my family, smoked salmon works instead for a great flavor.
Pamela
October 21, 2019
This is the MOST delicious. I don't even eat cheese, but just the quinoa, kale, pinenuts, and lemon zest and juice add up to a bounty of deliciousness that even my reluctant husband can't get enough of.
verborgenheit
October 14, 2019
This is really good- thank you! I think it might be best to rinse the quinoa before cooking to get rid of saponins which can coat it and cause a bitter taste as well as gastric irritation
https://quinta.ca/2016/03/23/whats-deal-saponins/
https://quinta.ca/2016/03/23/whats-deal-saponins/
jpriddy
December 27, 2019
Thank you. I was looking for that recommendation. Always wash quinoa before cooking and rice too for other reasons.
Lisa
April 11, 2024
i purchase Kirkland quinoa and have never needed to rinse it. other brands most definitely could benefit from it though.
Judy J.
August 4, 2019
Easy and delicious! I only had cranberry goat cheese on hand and that worked well too. I will be making this again!
Bethesda K.
April 20, 2019
Can't count how many times I've made this wonderful dish. Perfect for the Jewish family members & vegetarians at each year's family Easter celebration. Perfect for taking to outdoor concerts. and the leftovers are so delicious!
megumphrey
March 11, 2019
432 reviews! You all are my people!
After 1 billion times on stovetop, I tried in the Instantpot, with 2c quinoa, 1.5c water, and 2 chopped bunches of kale piled on top (gotta double, am I right?). 1 min manual high pressure, 10 min natural release. It came out great! Honestly don’t know if it’s that much of a time saver, but it was fun to play.
With so many comments, I couldn’t tell if anyone else had given it a go - if so, at least the idea will be bumped up!
After 1 billion times on stovetop, I tried in the Instantpot, with 2c quinoa, 1.5c water, and 2 chopped bunches of kale piled on top (gotta double, am I right?). 1 min manual high pressure, 10 min natural release. It came out great! Honestly don’t know if it’s that much of a time saver, but it was fun to play.
With so many comments, I couldn’t tell if anyone else had given it a go - if so, at least the idea will be bumped up!
Van D.
February 11, 2019
I love this as a base recipe, and make it all the time. Definitely go heavy on the lemon to add more flavor, and/or add more spices to taste. Another great trick to add flavor is to cook the quinoa in chicken stock vs water. This will add more depth of flavor to the overall dish.
amy P.
August 9, 2018
Wished for more flavor...or maybe it was just the sub of curly kale, or putting the goat cheese into hot quinoa?
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