Run Plant Based

Formerly The Raw Project - Running on a Healthy Vegan Diet

Creamy Dijon Quinoa with Kale

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Yesterday we got a slight break in the rain and this gorgeous view.

Today the all day rain was back and Miko back to refusing to go outside when when he could be toasting his belly instead.

I got into dry toasting quinoa before cooking it. Previously I was fearful to get too aggressive with toasting grains in fear of burning them, but the latest lesson on toasting grains and spices in the Rouxbe Forks Over Knives program inspired me to get a little crazy. I toasted this batch until it got a nicely golden brown color and some started popping out of the pan.

It was perfect for this next one pot meal recipe adding a heartier and nutty flavor to the quinoa. A Dijon quinoa salad recipe I stumbled on inspired this recipe. But the original had about twice the ingredients and 3 times the cooking time requiring roasted veggies and a variety of diced veggies. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for carefully crafted recipes like that such as a company potluck or just having fun in the kitchen on a day off. But that’s not a friendly weeknight recipe.

Instead taking time to carefully dice veggies into uniform sizes, this ZYLISS Easy Pull Food Chopper is a weeknight friendly kitchen tool, it’s doable and even fun after a long workday and gym workout making short work of chopping the carrots and kale for this fun and colorful winter quinoa dish.

Dijon Quinoa, Chickpeas, and Kale

  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa (or about 1 cup of batch cooked quinoa or any blend of grains)
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (also great for batch cooked chickpeas or any beans you have)
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • small bunch of kale, chopped
  • 1 avocado, seeded and scooped
  • 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 2 cups water or veggie broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Toast uncooked quinoa stove top in a medium soup pot over medium high heat until golden (optional).
  2. Add 1 cup veggie broth (or water) and bring to boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until loose liquid is absorbed
  4. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, and kale and add more veggie broth if needed. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  5. To make sauce, place avocado, ½ cup water or veggie broth, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, paprika, parsley, and chili powder into a high speed blender and blend to a smooth and creamy texture.
  6. Mix sauce into soup pot. Serve and enjoy. Makes 4 servings.

This is the first time I’ve used avocado in a cooked recipe and it worked well, the sauce held the texture nicely.

And added a lot to this recipe – it was a delicious and colorful one pot meal. The toasted quinoa had firm texture, the carrots and kale were not over cooked, and the avocado sauce had the perfect amount of tangy Dijon flavor to really make this an interesting and flavorful dish.

Perfect way to add a warming and colorful flare to a grey and rainy winter night.

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Comments

  3. I must admit, I was getting a bit burned out on quinoa, but toasting it turns everything around. It’s like a whole new grain with that deep nutty flavor!

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