Thinking of going vegan but don’t know where to start? Veganuary is the perfect opportunity to start your journey!
This recipe is the perfect beginner-friendly recipe to enjoy plant-based dishes with the whole family.
My quinoa bake recipe is a healthy and protein-rich one-pot dish, which is very quick and easy to make. With a short preparation time of only ten minutes, all you need to do is chop some vegetables, wash the quinoa, add some seasonings and then add boiling water. Add the amount of seasoning to your preference and be sure to mix in well before placing the quinoa in the oven. This is a great multi-purpose recipe which can be made for both family and friends or even for yourself as a mid-week meal on those days when you want a quick and easy meal that requires little effort. You can sit back and relax, while you wait for the quinoa bake to be done in the oven! This is the easiest way to cook quinoa and it is a great way to incorporate quinoa into your plant-based diet.
When you take it out of the oven, check that quinoa has absorbed all the water and there isn’t any left at the bottom of the dish.
The quinoa will be ready to serve and you can enjoy it with some tahini dressing or any other dressing of your choice.
INGREDIENTS (5-6 portions):
Quinoa bake ingredients:
- 2 courgettes
- 1 leek
- 1-2 stalks of celery
- 200g washed quinoa
- 2 stock cubes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tbsp garlic paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- A few twigs of rosemary
- Black pepper to taste
- 1l boiling water
Tahini sauce ingredients:
- 10-12 tbsp hot water
- 6 tbsp tahini sauce
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
METHOD:
Preheat your oven to 200C (390F).
Cut off the ends of 2 courgettes (zucchinis) and quater, then chop into small pieces. Finely slice 1 leek and 1-2 stalks of celery. Add to a large heat-proof baking dish.
Then wash 200g of uncooked quinoa. Washing is important as it removes the bitterness from the quinoa.
Add the quinoa to the baking dish as well together with 2 veggie stock cubes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 tbsp garlic paste, 2 tbsp lemon juice, a few twigs of rosemary and black pepper to taste.
Then pour boiling hot water over it. Make sure the water is really boiling, otherwise the cooking time in the oven will be longer.
Mix everything together.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes (or until the quinoa has absorbed all water).
In the meantime prepare the tahini sauce. Tahini is bitter normally so you need to add lemon juice to neutralise the bitterness. To a bowl add 10-12 tbsp hot water and 6 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste) and 1/2 tsp of garlic paste. Mix together well until you get a smooth sauce.
Take the quinoa bake out.
Written by Philipp Ertl
Philipp Ertl is a recipe developer and founder of Exceedingly Vegan. His goal is to bring everyone back to the table with his delicious creations, vegans, flexitarians and omnivores. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook.