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White curvy bowl almost overflowing with vegetable lemon quinoa
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5 from 5 votes

Smoky Lemon Vegetable Quinoa Recipe

A vegan, gluten-free side dish or main course that's absolutely exploding with flavors that will keep you coming back for more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegetables with quinoa, unique vegan sides, vegan side dishes
Servings: 6 as a sdie
Calories: 195kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • cup quinoa (I used a mix of colors - black, red, & white)
  • olive oil for the pan
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled, cut into small dice
  • 2 cups zucchini, washed, dried & cut into small dice
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, washed, dried & cut into small dice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • cup fresh basil, washed, dried and finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Pour the water into a medium-sized pot, place it over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, coat the bottom of a very large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 7 minutes.
  • Sprinkle in the paprika, oregano and thyme and mix. Once it’s very aromatic, add the carrots and cook for a few minutes. Then add the zucchini and pepper and cook, stirring often until all of the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Either in a large mixing bowl, or directly in the sauté pan if it’s big enough — fold the cooked quinoa into the vegetables.
  • Add the lemon juice and basil and then season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal