This Quinoa Primavera recipe is a new favorite at our house for several reasons – it’s quick, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, and its just a feel good meal – satisfying and nourishing. Pasta Primavera was actually one of the first recipes I posted here. It was a recipe from Pioneer Woman and I continue to use her tried and true recipe. I kept the main components of Primavera like spring veggies, creamy sauce, and thin strands of basil, and also boosted the health of the dish with labneh (a strained yogurt cheese) instead of cream, and quinoa instead of pasta. I think you’ll love it just the same, we sure do!
For the veggies in this dish, choose whichever you’d like. It’s Spring so I went for all of the best of the season – asparagus, squash, zucchini, radishes (yes radishes are great cooked!), and broccoli.
As for the creamy component. I used a mixture of labneh and cream cheese (as you can see above). I tried the dish first with all labneh but I thought it still needed a bit more fat and cream so a little bit of cream cheese made it perfect without being too heavy. And the dish is filled with veggies and quinoa so a little fat balances it perfectly. You can feel free to change the ratio as you’d like or use all cream cheese but I’ve found that about 2 tablespoons of each will do the trick! If you’ve never had labneh, here’s the scoop:
Labneh:
Labneh is a strained yogurt that people often refer to as yogurt cheese because of it’s thick and creamy nature. It provides a punch of protein that will help you feel full longer and also has a dose of healthy bacteria to support a healthy gut.
– Laura, a nutritionist in Salt Lake City
Quinoa Primavera Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups vegetables, I used zucchini, squash, asparagus, broccoli and radishes
- 2 tablespoons labneh*
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan, grated
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, heat quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until broth is almost all absorbed.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute garlic for 1-2 minutes until golden. Stir in vegetables (working in two batches if needed). Cook vegetables for about 8 minutes or until tender but still slightly crisp.
- Add in cream cheese, labneh, basil, and quinoa to the vegetables. Toss to combine.
- Serve with extra chopped basil, extra labneh and or Parmesan cheese.
Notes
This is SO up my alley. Pasta primavera is a family staple, but with quinoa? You’re taking things to the next level and I’m LIKING it!
Thanks Sarah. And is crazy easy too. Perfect weeknight meal.
Love the simplicity of this recipe! It’s rare that I find such a practical and delicious looking recipes in the blogsphere to whip up on a weeknight!
Shelly, after first making this recipe we’ve made it once a week. It’s just too tasty and too easy not to remake time and time again. Hope you enjoy it!
This looks like it could work warm or cold, as a salad. Gonna try it for my next potluck situation!
Jenny, I eat this cold as leftovers and it is great both ways. Report back once you give it a try!