You should know that Brussels sprouts are very popular here in the Netherlands, but I hardly ever cook them because the boys at home just don’t like them at all. However, when I saw them at the supermarket at a very low price, I couldn’t resist buying them! So I wanted to try a combination of quinoa with Brussels sprouts and other ingredients to at least encourage the Dutch one to try…
No way! He didn’t even want to taste it… man of little faith! I must say that I’m not a fan of this vegetable either, but if there’s a way to make it enjoyable, it’s definitely this one, thanks to the cooking method I’ll explain later and the sweet pomegranate seeds that contrast the bitterness of the sprouts.
The quinoa with Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and pomegranate is a light dish, also vegan and gluten-free, which I truly recommend trying: it’s delicious and extremely filling, and I was very pleased with the result. I found the recipe on an English website, I’ll leave the link below, but I modified the quantities, especially the seasonings, to make it a perfect main dish even for the diet at only 8 Weight Watchers ProPoints.
Here are some other recipes with pomegranate:
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 3 or 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs Brussels sprouts
- 1 cup quinoa
- 8.8 oz canned chickpeas
- 1.4 oz extra virgin olive oil (4 teaspoons)
- 1 lemon (untreated, juice and zest)
- 1 pomegranate
- to taste parsley
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Points per serving (divided into 3) = 8 WW points
- Points per serving (divided into 4) = 6 WW points
Tools
- Knife
- Bowl
- Baking sheet
- Lemon zester
- Pot
- Air fryer
- Cup
Steps
Wash the Brussels sprouts, trim the hard part at the bottom, and remove some of the outer damaged leaves. Cut them in half lengthwise except for the tiny ones that you can leave whole. Place all the cleaned and cut sprouts in a bowl, add a little salt and pepper, and two teaspoons of oil. Mix with your hands to coat all the sprouts well. Place them on a baking sheet with the cut side down. At this point, you can either bake them at 428°F (392°F fan) for about 45 minutes or place the sheet in the air fryer at 320°F-356°F for about half an hour. The sprouts should not be turned and should be well-colored and tender, but not burnt. Turn off and keep them warm in the oven or air fryer itself.
Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. Typically, the quinoa should be rinsed thoroughly and then placed in a saucepan with double the water and a pinch of salt. When the water boils, lower the heat and let it cook for about 10 minutes: at that point, you will see the typical tail of the quinoa seeds emerging from the seed. If there is excess water, you can drain it and then fluff the seeds with a fork, as you do for rice. Add the well-rinsed and drained chickpeas to the quinoa and mix. In a cup, pour the other 2 teaspoons of oil, a little salt and pepper, the juice, and part of the grated lemon zest and mix well. Seed the pomegranate.
Now combine all the ingredients: pour the chickpeas and quinoa into the serving dish and season with the oil and lemon mix, mixing well. Add the still warm sprouts and the pomegranate, reserving some for decoration. Garnish with some parsley leaves, the remaining pomegranate seeds, and grated lemon zest. Et voilà, the quinoa with Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and pomegranate is ready to be enjoyed!
I found this dish very tasty, a great way to appreciate Brussels sprouts for sure: when roasted, they acquire a great flavor, and it’s hard to resist eating them right out of the oven (as seen in the photo above!).
Moreover, it is a complete vegan dish that is also ideal for those who are gluten intolerant. It is extremely filling and gives a great sense of fullness for a long time. Since it is also good when cooled, I recommend it to those who take meals to work or school: in fact, the leftovers I kept in the fridge were even better the next day! Try it and let me know if you liked it…
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Notes
Source used for this recipe: Power Hungry – Roasted brussels sprouts-quinoa salad
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How long and how can it be stored?
You can store this dish in the fridge for 3 or 4 days in an airtight container. I haven’t tried, but I don’t think it can be frozen, especially as the sprouts would lose their fragrance. However, you can prepare the quinoa in advance and freeze it in pre-portioned bags. Once thawed, it will be like freshly prepared.
What is quinoa?
Quinoa is considered a grain but it is actually the seeds of a plant and is now very common on our tables, it cooks like pasta, can be eaten hot or cold, and I like it a lot because it has a nutty aftertaste. And then it has many beneficial properties for our body!
What can I use instead of quinoa?
You can use any grain, but if you are gluten intolerant, then I suggest using millet or sorghum.
If I want to use dried chickpeas, how do I do it?
For this dish, I prefer canned chickpeas because they remain firmer, but if you want to cook them yourself, you need to soak about 100 g of chickpeas overnight, about 12 hours, and then boil them in unsalted water for about 2 hours. If they do not soften, you can add a pinch of baking soda and cook for another half hour. Take the quantity you need and freeze the rest.
How can I replace the pomegranate?
When pomegranate is out of season or expensive, I use other fruits: a sweet apple cut into small pieces or blueberries.
