Garlicky Mushroom Quinoa (Printable Version)

Protein-packed quinoa with golden sautéed mushrooms and aromatic garlic, ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 12 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
07 - 2 cups baby spinach (optional)
08 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
12 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
04 - Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and their liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
05 - Sprinkle with dried thyme, salt, and pepper. If using spinach, add it now and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet. Drizzle with lemon juice and toss everything together until well combined and heated through.
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in fresh chopped parsley.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan or vegan cheese and additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Earthy mushrooms meet bright lemon in a way that feels sophisticated but comes together in under 30 minutes
  • The quinoa absorbs all those savory pan juices, making every bite more flavorful than the last
02 -
  • Rinsing quinoa is not optional, that bitter coating will ruin an otherwise perfect dish
  • Do not crowd the pan when cooking mushrooms or they will steam instead of brown
03 -
  • Let the quinoa steam off the heat for those full 5 minutes, it makes the texture noticeably fluffier
  • Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the thyme if you like subtle heat

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