There are some foods that show up a lot in vegetarian cooking (hello, tofu!), and quinoa is definitely one of them. Although many people think that quinoa is a grain, it's actually a seed that's more closely related to beets and spinach than it is to wheat and other cereals. The reason it's so popular in vegetarian recipes probably has something to do with the fact that quinoa is high in protein. It also contains healthy amounts of fiber, magnesium, and iron. What's not to love, right?!
I like cooking quinoa in vegetable broth to give it a little boost of flavor. The Kitchn has a helpful article about how to cook quinoa without having it end up sad and soggy, which is a good place to start if you've never cooked with it before. And once you've mastered that, here are 40 vegetarian quinoa recipes for you to try:
Broccoli Quinoa Quesadillas
Pizza Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
Peanutty Quinoa Bowls
Sriracha Quinoa Bites Leaf and Grain
Quinoa with Acorn Squash and Pomegranate A Thought for Food
Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers Prevention RD
Nutty Quinoa, Spinach and Cranberry Salad Aggie's Kitchen
Quinoa Apple Breakfast Bites Lisa's Dinnertime Dish
Quinoa Coconut Walnut Crunch Jeanette's Healthy Living
Pesto Quinoa White Bean Cakes with Roasted Tomatoes
Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash Rings
Chipotle Black Bean Quinoa Burgers with Sweet Corn Relish
Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pomegranate Dressing Girl Makes Food
Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes Grab a Plate
Quinoa Baked Zucchini Chips with Sriracha Dipping Sauce Cooking Quinoa
Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa Running to the Kitchen
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Pumpkin Seed Cherry Quinoa Pilaf The Spicy RD
Twice Baked Butternut Squash with Quinoa & Gorgonzola Williams Kitchen
Protein Quinoa Muffins with Fresh Apricot, Walnut and Dates Inspired Edibles
Stuffed Pattypan Squash with Quinoa and Fresh Corn
Curried Red Lentil Quinoa Bowls with Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Bok Choi & King Oyster Mushroom Quinoa Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
Curried Quinoa Mango Salad The Fig Tree
Quinoa Pizza Balls Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Salted Quinoa Chocolate Bark with Pistachios Cooking Quinoa
Greek Style Quinoa Patties With Tzatziki Sauce The Iron You
One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf Food52
Spinach-Feta Quinoa Cakes Panini Happy
Loaded Veggie Quinoa Sliders Simple Awesome Cooking
Apple Cinnamon & Quinoa Muffin Top Cookies
Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream
Edamame Quinoa Salad Cooking Quinoa
Pineapple & Cashew Quinoa Curry Bowl The Fig Tree
Quinoa and Black Lentil Salad with Mixed Salad Greens Jeanette's Healthy Living
Quinoa Fajita Burritos The Garden Grazer
Quinoa, Zucchini & Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata The Iron You
Pizza Quinoa Casserole Food Doodles
Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites The Curvy Carrot
Quinoa-Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chipotle Sauce Once Upon a Cutting Board
Nat @ The Apple Diaries says
So much quinoa! You're spot on about the vegetable broth, I cook mine in organic vegetable stock instead of water and it adds so much flavour so that way you can add it straight to salads, etc. I haven't been brave enough to start baking with quinoa yet but those Apple Cinnamon & Quinoa Muffin Top Cookies sound crazy good 🙂
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Awesome post! Quinoa is most definitely one of my favorite superfoods! I love the idea of using it in cookies :).
Lisa @ Greek Vegetarian says
Yet another incredibly comprehensive recipe list! This is great Kiersten. I reckon I could adapt the stuffed pattypan squash recipe into something Greek – it's definitely got Greek vegetarian potential!
Kiersten says
Yes! Take out the chipotle and corn, add some olives and feta...
Aaron says
Great post! I love quinoa, especially since becoming vegetarian. However, I always eat it with some ambivalence and guilt, given the fact that it has become so popular in the Global North/West, a good number of indigenous Central Americans can no longer afford to consume the crops they grow. However, I clearly have not resolved that given that I do buy it/eat it on occasion. Just thought I might put that out there though, for those who are not aware of the politics of it, but care about ethical eating.
Kiersten says
I think that Guardian article took some unfair potshots at vegetarians & vegans--it's definitely a good thing to be mindful of the impacts of globalization, the importance of fair trade, etc., but quinoa certainly isn't the only crop with these issues and vegetarians & vegans aren't the only ones to blame. There's also this article http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/01/quinoa_bad_for_bolivian_and_peruvian_farmers_ignore_the_media_hand_wringing.html, which brings up some good points too, although I'd guess that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Oh, and you might be interested in checking out Alter Eco--they sell fair trade quinoa: http://www.alterecofoods.com/products/quinoa.
Erika says
Well it brings in money and helps their economy or they could stop exporting??
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Love this protein loaded grain-like seed. Thanks for sharing, Kiersten.
venke says
Love this post! Thanks for sharing these great recipes!
Aggie says
This is quinoa heaven!! I need to make a batch today and try out some recipes. Thanks for including my salad!
Kiersten says
Of course! 🙂
Sara @my less serious life says
what a great roundup!
Ronnie Fein says
So helpful and chock full of of recipes. Nice!
Rachel says
Thank you for including us in your list! This is an awesome roundup of quinoa recipes!
Kiersten says
No problem--I love your recipe! 🙂
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Thank you so much for opening my eyes to the possibilities of quinoa, Kiersten! I'm kind of a newbie to it. Looks like I have lots to try!
Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
Love your posts like this, it will take me a while to get through all these links! (though I wouldn't be surprised if I already have a lot of them bookmarked, I love quinoa!) Thanks for including a link to one of mine!
Kiersten says
You're welcome! 🙂
Natalie says
Quinoa is one of my faves! Thanks for this, I can never get enough quinoa recipes!!
Stephanie @ henry happened says
I love your roundups because the always remind me of old posts of yours that I need to make. Muffin top cookies are like the best idea ever.
JulieD says
This is a solid round-up...I really need to try cooking quinoa for reals!
🙂
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
I love quinoa! And you posted 40 recipes for it! Thank you so so much!
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
You know, I've never tried quinoa, but I keep hearing about it, so I think I need to try one of these and soon.
mjskit says
I am definitely convince now! What a great collection of Quinoa recipes! I've only made quinoa twice and not that successfully. I think it's time to give it another try. Thanks for putting this collection together!
Kiersten says
The Kitchn link has some good tips for cooking quinoa. It's definitely a little bit temperamental!
Anne says
Great list, I love using quinoa, it is very versatile.
debra pearlstein says
Quinoa is so yummy and healthy. Thanks for the recipes!
Viswa says
Wow!!! Awesome List
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
I love quinoa, I always cook mine in veggie broth too. I recently learned that quinoa freezes really well too. This is an awesome compilation, can't wait to browse through those recipes.
Dianna says
We love quinoa. We often use it as a substitute for pasta in recipes.
I will definitely be trying the apple quinoa breakfast bites. I think those will be a big hit with my toddlers (who have both hit that "I-won't-eat-anything-not-even-things-I-loved-5-minutes-ago" phase).
Kiersten says
I hope they're a success! 🙂
Brenda Williams says
Such a great variety of ways to cook with quinoa. All of these look so good. Thanks for giving us so many ideas.
Hilary says
These all look so great! I just posted an amazing quinoa muffin recipes I found. I can't wait to try some of these ideas!