Pretty soon asparagus will be sprouting up through the ground, vines ripe with tomatoes and plants dripping with peas! Throw them all together in this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Paella for a simple, healthy and quick meal the whole family will enjoy!
Hello Real Housemoms! I’m Crissy from Begin Within Nutrition and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the contributing crew! I’m a registered dietitian, but first and foremost I am a mom who understands the struggles of balancing life and little ones…all while trying to get a healthy meal on the table!
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One of my favorite, go-to ingredients for healthy family meals is quinoa. It’s a grain (well, technically a seed!) that is loaded with protein, fiber and nutrients. It’s super versatile and can be used in breakfast cereals, soups, stews or casseroles. Quinoa topped with shredded cheddar is one of my son’s “fall back” foods, something healthy I know he will always eat! I cook a batch of quinoa once a week to have ready in times of need!
For this recipe I replaced traditional paella rice with quinoa to create a protein packed plate! This is a vegetarian recipe, but feel free to add shrimp, sausage or chicken if desired!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth plus 1/2 cup extra if needed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt add salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup asparagus cut into bite-sized pieced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and sauté until translucent, around 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add red bell pepper and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in dry quinoa. Add white wine, broth, smoked paprika, saffron, sea salt, pepper and cumin. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add extra broth 1/4 cup at a time if needed.
- Stir in asparagus, peas, chickpeas, tomatoes, cover and sauté until asparagus is crisp tender.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley, slivered almonds and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, make sure to try out my other quinoa recipes!
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