Run Plant Based

Formerly The Raw Project - Running on a Healthy Vegan Diet

Creamy Basil Quinoa

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The weather is odd here, it’s not cold but it is cold … you know? Temps were in the 50s for my long run Sunday and it felt much colder thanks to the moisture and strong winds. I was really regretting not wearing running gloves by mile 6 when it became clear my hands weren’t going to warm up! But this weather is also a good opportunity to enjoy a few last fireplace evenings before spring officially arrives and the pups took advantage of that last night.

Thankfully the forecast is looking much better for Sunday’s half marathon – nothing like last year! And this next quinoa dish was nicely warming and comforting after a chilly day with creamy avocado, fresh basil, garlic, and hearty grains and beans.

Creamy Basil Quinoa One Pot Meal (Vegan, Oil Free, Gluten Free)

For the Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 can of chickpeas (or bean/legume of choice)
  • 1 cup chopped cauliflower (or veggies of choice, kale would be great too)

For the Sauce

  • 1 ripe avocado, seeded and scooped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. miso paste
  • 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup water, as needed
  • ground pepper to taste
  1. In a medium soup pot, bring quinoa to a boil over medium high heat.
  2. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place all ingredients for the sauce into a high speed blender and blend to a smooth and creamy texture.
  4. Stir chickpeas and cauliflower (or beans and veggies of choice) into soup pot and cover for about 10 minutes.
  5. Stir basil sauce into the mixture over low heat and cover for about 5-10 minutes.
  6. Serve and enjoy, makes 4 servings.

Such a pretty green color, I guess this is my St. Patrick’s Day recipe. I added chopped sun dried tomatoes too for a little color and texture pop.

And it came out delicious, avocado based sauces can work well in cooked recipes.

It has a refreshing and bright basil flavor that isn’t over-powering or bitter. I sometimes shy away from working with fresh basil because it can be so strong.

Add comforting warmth to your day that’s also healthy with this recipe.

Comments

  1. This looks and sounds AWESOME! It’s been a while since my last comment and I MUST catch up on commenting – so sorry! Hope all is well with you! Gotta get my Miko and Leela fix, too! They look adorable as always! My sister requested that I make Quinoa Hummus Casserole for her baby shower at the end of April. I think I will do two of them – slightly different toppings and one with regular hummus and the other with Avocado Hummus since that is her fave hummus I make LOL. I will surely keep you posted on the Casserole Journey!

  2. OMG this sounds AMAZING!!! I have all these ingredients too, except avocado which I can get tomorrow. I just scored some tahini dressing from my job (it was made for a special but we don’t offer the special anymore) so I’m loving that on pasta!

  4. Glorious! Between the avocado and basil, I don’t think you can go wrong.it sounds like such a bright blast of summery flavor, which is just what we need to break through the lingering winter funk.

    • Thanks and agreed! Temps in the 70s for the weekend here and I’m looking forward to that! Hope it’s warmer for you too!

  5. I totally know what you mean about the weather. We live close to Lake Michigan, and the humidity makes the cold feel colder. It’s bone chilling. I’m happy the forecast looks good for your 1/2 marathon. Good luck!