This healthy and delicious Italian Quinoa is made using just one pot! We've got tons of flavor inside using tomatoes and fresh basil. On the table in just 30 minutes and makes clean up a total breeze!
When dinner is ready in just one pot you know it's going to be a good night!
We're whipping up another one-pot wonder here and this time we're making Italian Quinoa! And we're packing in all the flavors. We've got tomatoes, we've got basil, we've got white beans, we've got herbs and yes, we've even got spinach.
This is a protein-, fiber-, and flavor-packed meal that literally takes one pot to make. Which means easy clean up for you so you have more time to binge watch The Great British Baking Show! (or is that just me…?!)
I've got a few tricks up my sleeve with this recipe to make it easy peasy for you, but the first is that we're using CANNED tomatoes instead of chopping! Saves time, amps up flavor and we're also using the juice as part of our cooking liquid.
My favorite canned tomato brand is Tuttorosso Tomatoes because they are by far the best tasting canned tomatoes I've found (read no metallic flavor). They're packed fresh, they actually hold their shape and look like chopped tomatoes, and they are so juicy and delicious inside this Italian quinoa dish!
I'm excited to be partnering with Tuttorosso on today's post because they just launched a brand new line of tomatoes that I seriously L-O-V-E!
Their San Marzano style tomatoes are out of this world. They're plump and juicy and have a soft meaty texture. While they're delicious in soups and stews, I really love them with quinoa because they're chopped a bit bigger and have a sweeter taste. They don't get lost when cooked for a long time and never get mushy.
And let's be real here…when you're making something Italian-flavored that uses tomatoes, they better be darn good tomatoes!
(fun fact: my Italian grandmother exclusively buys Tuttorosso because she says they have the best flavor for her “gravy”!)
Another way we're amping up the tomato flavor is by cooking the quinoa in a mixture of vegetable broth, water and the tomato juice/puree.
By using that tomato liquid, we can really infuse each and every bite of the quinoa with that classic Italian flavor. It's a simple trick that I'm going to start using all the time! You could also do this with Mexican quinoa recipes, Mediterranean quinoa recipes and so many other combos!
When I was making this recipe, I wanted it to be something you could eat as a main course or serve on the side which is why, in addition to the protein from the quinoa, we're also adding in white beans. The beans help to stretch the recipe out (serving more people), but also makes it much more substantial and filling.
Not feeling beans? No problemo!
You could either leave them out completely and serve as is, OR you could add a different protein. I think chicken, shrimp, sausage or even salmon would work really nicely here!
And lastly, you know I'm also about sneaking in those greens, so I finished it off by stirring in some fresh spinach and some fresh basil.
The spinach can be skipped, or swapped for another bean, but don't skip that basil. It adds such an awesome flavor, makes it pop a bit more and just kind of lightens the whole thing up with a fresh, herbaceous undertone!
So cheers to a healthy dinner, that makes clean up a breeze and is on your table in under 30 minutes. It doesn't get much better than that! ❤
More Easy and Healthy Dinner Ideas To Try:
- The Best Collard Wraps with Quinoa & Veggies
- 30-Minute Vegan Red Curry Noodle Bowls
- Sheet Pan Miso Roasted Vegetable & Cauliflower Rice Bowls
- One-Pot Spring Pesto Pasta with Peas & Asparagus
- One Pan Vegetable Quinoa Paella
One-Pot Italian Quinoa with Tomatoes & Basil
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 small shallot minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup Tuttorosso chopped San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup water or more broth
- 1/4 cup tomato juice from the Tuttorosso can
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- 1 15 oz can white beans
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1 - 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast optional
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and italian seasoning and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- To the saucepan, add quinoa and tomatoes. Stir continuously for 15 – 30 seconds. Add liquids, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 – 25 minutes until liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove lid and stir in spinach, white beans, basil and nutritoinal yeast (if using). Let sit for a few minutes to allow spinach time to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. As always, all opinions are my own. I only share companies I love and trust, so thank you for continuing to support Simply Quinoa!
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