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Home » Recipes » Vegetables and Sides

Herbed Lemon Quinoa with Spinach

Published: Jul 21, 2023 · Modified: Oct 14, 2024 by Marisa Franca · 11 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Pinterest collage with title overlay for Herb Lemon Quinoa that is quick and easy.

Sometimes you just need a great tasting side like Herbed Lemon Quinoa with Spinach { Quinoa con Erbe, Limone e Spinaci}  to go along with a fantastic entree such as Spicy Baked Sea Trout in Lemon Sauce. We wanted a light and healthy starch in a co-starring role certainly not upstaging the delicious entree. 

A bowl filled with lemon and herb quinoa with spinach recipe.
Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • 🛒 Ingredients
  • 🗒Instructions
  • 🔪 Equipment
  • 🤔 FAQs about this recipe
  • 👩🏻‍🍳Tips
  • 🥫Storage
  • 📗 RELATED RECIPES
  • 🍽 SERVE WITH
  • 📝 Recipe
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why you'll love this recipe

The taste of this recipe is made subtle and bright by the combination of the sweet sautéed shallots, lemon, parsley, and thyme. This grain quickly absorbs the delicious juices from whatever meat and sauce you serve with it, deepening the flavor of the puffy seeds.

🛒 Ingredients

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Image of the ingredients needed to make the Lemon Herb Quinoa recipe.

Note: The full list of this recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are in the recipe card below.

  • uncooked Quinoa -- this Quinoa seed and it has a natural coating on it called saponin, which protects it from pests, and it tastes soapy and bitter. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly.
  • fresh lemon zest and lemon juice -- gives the dish a light bright taste.
  • red pepper flakes -- adds to the flavor and spice.
  • shallots - may also use red onion.

🗒Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.

First four steps to making quinoa with herb and lemon.
  1. Bring the chicken broth or stock to a boil in a saucepan.
  2. Stir in the quinoa, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook covered until liquid is absorbed.
  3. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add shallots until soft.
  4. Stir in zest and juice and simmer for 1 minutes.
Collage of steps five and six to making a quinoa vegetable side with lemon and herbs.
  1. Add the cooked quinoa, baby spinach, thyme, parsley.
  2. Stir until combined.

🔪 Equipment

These are the items that you'll need to make this lemon herb quinoa and spinach recipe.

  • saucepan -- this is for cooking in the broth or stock
  • fine sieve -- for rinsing
  • skillet -- sautéing the quinoa, spinach, lemon and herbs
  • sharp knife -- chopping and slicing the vegetables and herbs
  • cutting board -- a solid surface for cutting the spinach, onion, and herbs

🤔 FAQs about this recipe

What is quinoa?

Quinoa,  botanically a seed and not a grain, is an excellent source of protein and is lower in carbohydrates than most grains. Another plus for it is that people who are gluten intolerant can turn to these seeds for their starch alternative.

How do you use quinoa?

You can make salads out of it like our Orange Quinoa Salad , stuff tomatoes and peppers with it, add it to veggie burgers, meatballs, skillet sautés, and make crispy patties out of it.

What can I add to quinoa to make it taste good?

Using broth, stock, and garlic powder adds a nice savory note to grain. You can also use a bit of diced onions and minced fresh garlic. Herbs such as dried or fresh oregano adds flavor and a Mediterranean touch. Adding kosher or sea salt with quinoa. One of the biggest mistakes people make is they don't add enough seasoning.

Why is quinoa better than rice?

First of all, it contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice. Secondly, unlike rice, its fibers help to lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. Third, it reduces your blood fat levels after a meal called triglycerides. For more information, this article is excellent.

Is quinoa difficult to find?

We buy this grain in big bags at Costco. Not because it is a health food, even though it is. Not because it has extra anti-oxidants because it does. We buy it in huge bags because it is so versatile and we simply like the taste and texture. Just think, you can add it to breakfast bowls, cookies, and granola.

Overhead view of the Vegetable grain dish featuring quinoa. onion, herbs, and spinach.

👩🏻‍🍳Tips

It's easy to make quinoa taste good. All you need to do is add aromatics and vegetables you like. Try fresh garlic or rosemary or even throwing in a bay leaf or fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, or basil into the pot with your quinoa.

Mix in some chopped onions or other vegetables and quinoa will soak up their flavors too. The easiest tip to follow is to use stock or broth as the cooking liquid.

🥫Storage

You can serve this dish hot, warm or cold. Quinoa can keep in the refrigerator from three to five days. This is an fantastic recipe to make ahead. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

📗 RELATED RECIPES

We love making quinoa recipes as a great base with spinach like this lemon quinoa. But we also enjoy it as a salad such our delicious Fennel Orange Quinoa salad.

You can even make the quinoa toasted and plain then use it as a sauce absorber as we did with our Chicken Saltimbocca.

If you like stuffed vegetables, Quinoa makes a great substitute for the pasta in this Orzo Stuffed Pepper Italian Style

🍽 SERVE WITH

Quinoa pairs well the Crispy Fried fish with the Spinach Tomato Sauté. The lemony sauce in the Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe compliments the light herby taste of this Quinoa recipe. And a tomato based sauce such as in the Baked Flounder Italian Style sauce highlights the versatility of this delicious grain.

You'll find so many scrumptious ways to serve Quinoa and you'll find yourself dreaming up more ways to serve it.

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Un caro saluto e alla prossima. 

Lemon Herb Quinoa Recipe served in a pottery bowl with lemon slices and a fork in the dish.

📝 Recipe

This is a light yet flavorful quinoa dish that pairs well with fish, chicken, or pork. If you'd like to bring out the nutty flavor of quinoa, toast it after rinsing it.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

📖 Recipe

Herbed lemon quinoa with spinach in a brown pottery bowl.

Herbed Lemon Quinoa with Spinach

Lemon Quinoa with fresh herbs is a healthy gluten free side that is taken up a notch by a mix of sauteed shallots, bright lemon, parsley, thyme and spinach. If you like, this is an excellent quinoa salad.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Grain salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 269kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Medium saucepan
  • Large iron skillet
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Sharp knife
  • Non-skid cutting board
  • Box Grater or Microplane

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups quinoa - rinsed and drained
  • 2 ¾ cups chicken low-sodium broth
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 medium shallots finely chopped or red onion to equal ½ cup
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 cups baby spinach sliced
  • 1 teaspoon thyme fresh
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a fine sieve rinse quinoa in cold water.
  • Bring 2 ¾ cups chicken broth to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Stir in quinoa, salt, and pepper; reduce heat to low.
    Cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
    Remove from heat; let sit 5 minutes; uncover and fluff with fork; keep warm.
  • Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat; add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
    Stir in zest and juice and simmer for 1 minute; remove from heat.
    Add the quinoa, baby spinach, thyme, parsley and stir until thoroughly combined.
    Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Toasting quinoa: 
Toasting brings out the oils and rich nuttiness of grains, lending depth of flavor to a variety of dishes.
1. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse under running water until the water runs clear, 1 to 2 minutes.
2.Turn the quinoa into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Cook as you would normally. 

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1360IU | Vitamin C: 10.8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg

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    Healthy No gluten Herbed Lemon Quinoa with Spinach @allourway.com
    Healthy No Gluten Herbed Lemon Quinoa with Spinach

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    I’m Marisa Franca, a home chef, food writer, and photographer who believes that you can make gourmet quality food at home with simple seasonal ingredients. I’m passionate about family, food, friends, everything Italian, and happy endings.

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