Orchard Street Kitchen

Fresh and simple vegetarian recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact

Pesto Quinoa Bowl

March 7, 2015 By Julia 20 Comments

Pesto Quinoa Bowl

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.

Pesto Quinoa Bowl

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.

Pesto Quinoa Bowl
 
Print
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
15 mins
 
An incredibly easy and flavorful vegetarian dish, packed with flavor from pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions, adding a splash of apple cider vinegar and pinch of salt before cooking.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
3.2.2929

Β 

Filed Under: Entrees Tagged With: gluten-free, Italian, pesto, quinoa, white beans

« Lentils with Tahini
Mexican Tortilla Pizza »

Comments

  1. Amanda Paa says

    March 7, 2015 at 8:55 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:26 pm

      Thank you, Amanda! It’s definitely nice that my husband likes quinoa too πŸ™‚ 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!

      Reply
  2. Susan says

    March 8, 2015 at 9:49 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:28 pm

      I think I am way too impatient to use a mortar and pestle! Thank goodness for food processors πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Steve says

    March 8, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it – I figured you’d be a fan of the protein level! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says

    March 8, 2015 at 12:36 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
  5. Evi @ greenevi says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:47 am

    Wow, this bowl is just everything I love! I am absolutely craving it now, have to make it for dinner πŸ™‚
    Thanks for this wonderful idea!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:33 pm

      Thank you, Evi! I hope you enjoy the dish!

      Reply
  6. Katie @ Whole Nourishment says

    March 9, 2015 at 8:56 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 9, 2015 at 9:33 pm

      Thanks, Katie! Glad I’m not the only one who occasionally draws a blank at the grocery store πŸ™‚ Hope you enjoy this!

      Reply
      • Katie @ Whole Nourishment says

        March 12, 2015 at 2:09 pm

        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!

        Reply
        • Julia says

          March 13, 2015 at 9:06 am

          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.

          Reply
  7. Izzy says

    March 9, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    I’m so jealous that your husband likes food like this! Mine claims that he doesn’t like quinoa or pesto πŸ™ 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!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 13, 2015 at 9:05 am

      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 πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:51 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      March 18, 2015 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks, Sarah! I love having staples like this for when I’m really busy. I hope you enjoy it πŸ™‚

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 50 Healthy Quinoa Recipes | HelloNatural.co says:
    March 24, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    […] 42.Β Pesto quinoa bowl by Orchard Street Kitchen. Sweet and plump sun-dried tomatoes, crisp spinach, hearty cannellini beans, a few crunchy pine nuts and quinoa equals a great starter or light meal. […]

    Reply
  2. Pesto Quinoa Bowls | Bakers and Best says:
    July 13, 2015 at 8:01 am

    […] 3.3.3077 Recipe courtesy of Orchard Street Kitchen. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Orchard Street Kitchen! I love creating healthy, flavorful and approachable … more

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Don’t miss a new recipe!

<

Search

Most Popular Recipes

Beet and Halloumi Salad

Beet and Halloumi Salad

A Classic Biryani

A Classic Biryani

Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas

Recent Pins

Follow Orchard Street Kitchen on Pinterest

Newest Recipes

Falafel Salad

Falafel Salad

Falafel Burgers

Falafel Burgers

Curried Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Curried Chickpea Quinoa Veggie Burgers

Banh Mi Tofu Bowl

Banh Mi Tofu Bowl

Connect

Julia shares approachable vegetarian recipes from her kitchen in San Francisco. More…

Most Popular Recipes

Beet and Halloumi Salad
A Classic Biryani
Patatas Bravas
Vegetable Paella
Potato, Cheddar and Spinach Frittata
Mushroom Lasagna

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Child Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in