Sometimes when I’m doing a weekly trip to the grocery store, my mind draws a complete blank for new ideas. You’ve been there too, right? It’s at times like these when I see if my husband has any ideas. Without fail, he always suggests I make a pesto quinoa bowl. It’s one of his favorite dishes and has been a staple in our house for a long time. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to share this recipe. Sometimes I think I’m so focused on coming up with new recipes that I forget about some of my favorite oldies.
After several years of making this, I feel like I’ve found the perfect flavors to accompany the pesto and quinoa: sweet and plump sun-dried tomatoes, crisp spinach, hearty cannellini beans, and a few pine nuts for a bit of crunch. It’s a well-rounded vegetarian meal with plenty of protein from the quinoa and beans, and it’s packed with so much flavor from the pesto.
I was recently watching a Rick Steves travel show about Cinque Terre, where they showed a chef making classic pesto with a mortar and pestle. I love making homemade pesto too, but take a quicker and lazier route with my food processor. In less than five minutes, I get a wonderfully smooth pesto with the most amazing aroma. The quinoa is like a blank slate, soaking up all of the basil, garlic and lemon flavors of the pesto. If you’re in a hurry, a store-bought pesto would work fine too.
I think this will become one of your new favorite go-to meals. Ready in just about 15 minutes and delicious hot or cold, it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, potluck, or picnic. I love making a big batch and bringing it into work throughout the week, too.
Also, there’s still time to enter my giveaway of Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, Plenty More! Click here and scroll to the bottom of the post to enter.
- 1.5 cups quinoa, uncooked
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained from oil
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups fresh spinach
- 1-2 tablespoons pine nuts, for sprinkling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the pesto:
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, skin on
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions, adding a splash of apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt before cooking.
- In the meantime, prepare the pesto. Take the two cloves of garlic and, with the skin still on, toast lightly in a skillet for a couple of minutes until brown (this will prevent a harsher flavor of raw garlic). Peel and add to the food processor along with all of the ingredients except the olive oil. Blend for about one minute, then begin slowly adding the olive oil. Blend until smooth and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the quinoa is cooked, add the sun-dried tomatoes, beans and pesto and stir well. After the quinoa has slightly cooled, add the spinach (it will wilt if the quinoa is too hot).
- Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
first off – that’s awesome that your husband suggested a quinoa bowl when you asked for suggestions. i love how you’ve perfected the flavors in this. sun dried tomatoes & pesto are just two peas in a pod, and i can imagine how well the quinoa soaks up the pesto. hope you are pushing through this last phase of winter – warmer weather ahead! xo
Thank you, Amanda! It’s definitely nice that my husband likes quinoa too 🙂 And I agree – sun-dried tomatoes and pesto are definitely two peas in a pod. I hope the winter in MN is nearing its end, too!
Your photos are as beautiful as this dish was tasty, Julia! And this was definitely a quick and easy meal to put together, even using homemade pesto. (Pesto using a mortar and pestle–wow–that would be quite a workout)! I can see why it’s so popular with your hubby!
I think I am way too impatient to use a mortar and pestle! Thank goodness for food processors 🙂
I now know why this is a staple ! It tastes great and is one of those comprehensive meals all in one bowl. And given that protein is often my focus, the quinoa and beans are the perfect base. Of course, pesto can jazz up any dish, and the sun-dried tomatoes were also a clever addition for chewy flavor bursts.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it – I figured you’d be a fan of the protein level! 🙂
This looks like the perfect kind of quinoa recipe – and I feel you could make a big batch and then have leftovers to bring to work the next day which is always a win in my books. Love the additions of sun dried tomatoes and pesto (and love the lemon in the pesto too!). Look forward to trying this, Julia.
Thanks, Geraldine! I definitely love making a big batch and bringing this in for work. I am way too lazy to prepare a lunch early in the morning, so leftovers are my go-to for work lunches!
Wow, this bowl is just everything I love! I am absolutely craving it now, have to make it for dinner 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful idea!
Thank you, Evi! I hope you enjoy the dish!
Yes, I hear you with drawing a blank for new ideas. I absolutely love the pairing of sun-dried tomatoes and pesto together but I don’t make it enough. Thanks for the inspiration, Julia, I really want to make this soon!
Thanks, Katie! Glad I’m not the only one who occasionally draws a blank at the grocery store 🙂 Hope you enjoy this!
I made this for dinner tonight and ssed black chickpeas instead of cannellini beans since that’s what I had on hand. It was still fantastic! Thanks for the recipe Julia!
That’s so great to hear, Katie! I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Chickpeas sounds like a great option too – this is such a versatile dish.
I’m so jealous that your husband likes food like this! Mine claims that he doesn’t like quinoa or pesto 🙁 This is totally a bowl that I would make though! I think I tend to forget about the delicious oldies sometimes too. I need to work on that though because I love dishes like this!
My husband is pretty much the least picky eater ever, so I am very lucky!! That’s a shame your husband doesn’t like quinoa or pesto…you’ll just have to make this for yourself sometime 🙂
These regular staples are exactly the kind of dishes I need to add to my repertoire! I’m a HUGE fan of pesto and I bet it adds so much flavor to this quinoa bowl. Thanks for the weeknight dinner idea!
Thanks, Sarah! I love having staples like this for when I’m really busy. I hope you enjoy it 🙂