When you think of a vegetarian dish, light, and gluten-free, what comes to mind? For me, it’s this quinoa and roasted vegetables dish that I experimented with just yesterday, having some vegetables in the fridge that needed to be used up quickly! I’ll tell you, it turned out to be such a healthy, balanced, and rich in aromas and flavors meal that I couldn’t not share it with you! As you know, in the kitchen, I always try to find the right compromises, but above all, to vary as much as possible. Quinoa, in turn, is certainly one of the “superfoods” that I try the most to introduce into my diet, as it is rich in high-quality proteins and various essential amino acids. Due to its appearance and high starch content, it is mistakenly considered a cereal, but in reality, it is closer to the spinach and beet family than the grasses. In any case, it behaves as if it were a cereal, as it can replace rice and pasta in terms of carbohydrate intake and be accompanied by vegetables and legumes. And here you can easily prepare quinoa as a neutral base for your dishes and add seasonal vegetables or those you prefer! Moreover, as I mentioned, it is also gluten-free, so perfect for those with celiac disease! You won’t even have to worry about standing over the stove, just chop everything into chunks and into the oven! A good drizzle of oil and Greek feta will add that touch of saltiness that will win over everyone, both lovers of alternative cuisine and more traditionalists!
If, like me, you are looking for vegan, vegetarian, and tasty ideas, here are more quinoa recipes:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Low Cost
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients:
- 10.6 oz quinoa
- 9.9 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 zucchini (medium or 1 large)
- 1 carrot
- 2 shallots (or 1 red onion)
- 4.2 oz feta (Greek)
- 4 cloves garlic
- as needed chives
- A few leaves basil
- as needed sweet paprika (or smoked)
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed pepper
Tools:
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while costing you nothing extra!
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Pot
- 1 Lid
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Salad bowl
Steps:
Start by washing and trimming all the vegetables. Once rinsed under running water, on a cutting board, peel and trim the zucchini and carrot, then cut them into chunks, making sure they are all the same size for even cooking. Proceed to cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the shallots into quarters.
Arrange all the vegetables on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure not to overlap them. They should be in a single layer. The tomatoes in particular should be placed neatly with the cut side up.
Season them with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper to taste, then add the chives, the paprika, also add the garlic cloves in their skins and generously drizzle the surface with oil. Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F (200°C) for 15′, then remove only the shallots from the oven and continue baking for another 15′.
In the meantime, in a large pot, toast the quinoa for a few minutes without adding any fats.
Then cover it by adding double its volume of hot water and, once it reaches a boil, salt, lower the heat, and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes tender. It will take about 12′.
At the end of cooking, it will have absorbed almost all the water, so turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for another 5‘ covering with a lid.
Once cooled, transfer the quinoa to a large salad bowl and add the now-warm shallots.
Once the other vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven and add them to the quinoa, seasoning with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and finally mix.
When the quinoa and roasted vegetables are well chilled, preferably kept in the fridge for about half an hour, you can finish with the Greek feta cubed or coarsely crumbled by hand and a few basil leaves to taste.
And there you have it…your quinoa with roasted vegetables and Greek feta is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di Fefè!
Storage
👉 You can store the quinoa with roasted vegetables and Greek feta in the fridge inside a suitable container, preferably glass, with an airtight seal, for up to 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣 If quinoa is not your favorite, don’t worry, you can replace it with any other gluten-free grain like rice, buckwheat, millet, or oats. If you are not celiac, you can also opt for farro, pearl barley, bulgur, or any other grain to your liking.
🟣 Even for the vegetables, you can use those you have in the fridge that need to be consumed, the beauty of this recipe!
