Turmeric Spiced Quinoa
This turmeric spiced quinoa recipe is an excellent choice as a side dish. Not only is it healthy and delicious, but it can also go with almost any meal!
Turmeric spiced quinoa is an easy side dish for recipes like our harissa chicken or za’atar chicken.
In general quinoa has a mild, nutty flavor and seasoning for quinoa consists of various herbs and spices that pair best with your meal.
Today we’ll show you how to flavor quinoa with turmeric for added flavor and health benefits!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Broth – You can substitute this with vegetable broth or water if you want to keep it vegan.
- Garlic Powder – This adds a little extra flavor to the quinoa. You can substitute with fresh or frozen minced garlic if you prefer. If you do this you’ll need to lightly toast the garlic in your pot before adding the rest of the ingredients in step 1.
- Turmeric Powder – This is a spice widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. It has a bright mustard yellow appearance and an earthy flavor. It can usually be found in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- Salt – We use kosher salt for this recipe but you could also use table salt or sea salt.
- Quinoa – This is a gluten-free whole grain. We used white quinoa because it has a mild flavor and soft texture. You can use the other varieties but each has its own flavor and texture.
Instructions
We’ll show you how to make quinoa taste good in just three simple steps.
Step 1 – Prepare the cooking liquid. Pour the broth, garlic powder, turmeric, and kosher salt into a small pot and stir together. Heat the liquid over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
Step 2 – Add the quinoa. Once the liquid comes to a boil you’ll add your quinoa. Pour it into the liquid and then stir it in.
Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has all been absorbed.
Step 3 – Fluff and serve. Once the liquid has been absorbed the quinoa is ready. Remove it from the heat and take off the lid. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then place the lid back on the pot and let it sit off the heat until you are ready to serve.
What Is Quinoa?
Quinoa can be intimidating if you are unfamiliar with it. What is it? How do you pronounce it? How can I make it taste good? Luckily for you, we have all those answers and more.
Quinoa (KEEN-wah), often toted as one of the world’s healthiest foods, has been eaten by people all over the world for over 7,000 years. There are over 3,000 varieties of this superfood, however the three most common are red, black, and white. Each variety has its own flavor and texture.
- White is the most common as it has a light flavor and softer, fluffier texture.
- Red is heavier and has a stronger flavor. It maintains the red color after cooking is an excellent choice if you want to add a little color to your meal.
- Black is similar to red, but with a mild sweetness.
Is Quinoa Good for You?
Quinoa has many health benefits. It is packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory plant compounds, B vitamins, and other beneficial vitamins such as folate, magnesium, zinc, and iron.
It also helps metabolic health by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol, total cholesterol, and general body weight. It can also help with blood sugar regulation and is gluten free!
Like the gluten free aspect of quinoa? Then you will also love these gluten free recipes:
The best thing about quinoa is that it is so easy to incorporate into your diet. It has 5g more fiber than white rice, which is one of the many reasons people often use it as a healthier substitute to rice. You can try it yourself by substituting the rice in these recipes for quinoa:
Do I Need To Rinse Quinoa Before Cooking?
While perfectly safe to eat without rinsing, you may want to rinse your quinoa prior to cooking. Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which can give it a bitter flavor when it is cooked. If you pour your quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water for a minute or two, it will rinse away the saponin.
Rinsing quinoa also helps to soften it which will allow it to open up more during cooking giving it a softer texture. It is really a personal preference to the taste and texture of quinoa. You can try it with and without rinsing and see what you like best.
Turmeric Health Benefits
But what about turmeric? Does it have any benefit other than delicious taste? I’m so glad you asked! Turmeric, one of the main spices in curry powder, is also loaded with very strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. These properties allow turmeric to help delay aging and fight chronic disease.
It is scientifically proven to improve heart health, prevent against Alzheimer’s, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, and cancer. It is very good for your brain and can even help with depression!
Want more turmeric in your life? Try out these delicious recipes:
- Avocado Turmeric Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Turmeric Chicken Salad
- Tandoori Grilled Lamb Chops
- Sheet Pan Curried Chicken and Vegetables
How to Store It
Making this dish ahead of time is very simple.
Cook the dish and let it cool completely before storing.
Refrigerator Storage: Pack your Turmeric Spiced Quinoa tightly into an airtight container. This can be a Tupperware container with a lid or simply a sealable plastic storage bag. Make sure to get all the air out when sealing.
It can be stored in a refrigerator for 3 – 5 days.
Freezer Storage: Pack your Turmeric Spiced Quinoa tightly into an airtight container. This can be a Tupperware container with a lid or simply a sealable plastic storage bag. Make sure to get all the air out when sealing.
It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How to Reheat It
Refrigerator: Place quinoa in a microwave safe dish with 2 tablespoons of water added to it. Wet a paper towel and place it over the top of the container. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir and (if needed) microwave for 1 minute more.
Freezer: When ready to use, place in refrigerator to thaw for 24 hours.
Once defrosted, place quinoa in a microwave safe dish with 2 tablespoons of water added to it. Wet a paper towel and place it over the top of the container. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir and (if needed) microwave for 1 minute more.
Looking for More Easy Side Dishes?
- Creamy Polenta
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans {No Soak}
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice
- Carrot Orzo
- Butternut Squash Saffron Rice
- More Easy Side Dishes…
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Turmeric Spiced Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1.75 cups Chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup White quinoa
Instructions
- Pour the broth, garlic powder, turmeric, and salt into a small pot and heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil.
- Once boiling stir in the quinoa, turn the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let cook for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has all been absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and take off the lid. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and then place the lid back on the pot and let it sit off of the heat until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition
