Massachusetts is starting to slowly lift restrictions which means that doing basic things like going to the grocery store is becoming easier. Even though I am able to get fresh produce weekly now, I am still finding myself gravitating to pantry staples. So, I put my pantry to good use and came up with this Chickpea and Veggie Fried Quinoa.
I say I gravitate to my pantry more now, but really I'm not sure thats true. I use my pantry at every single meal. We eat a lot of beans, grains and potatoes in my house. My most used grains are oats, short grain brown rice and quinoa. My most used beans are black beans, navy beans and chickpeas.
Grains + beans are a classic combo. For vegans/vegetarians the combo of grains and beans provides a big hit of plant-based protein, fiber and so many micronutrients. There are so many ways to eat a grain + bean combo, but I thought it would be fun as a play on chicken fried rice. But, no chickens were harmed in the making of this dish.
The veggies used here are just my favorites for this application. If you dont have some of them or prefer others, make this recipe yours! It would be great with broccoli, mushrooms, sliced cabbage, frozen edamame, etc. You can also leave out the miso paste if you don't have any. And if you don't like any heat feel free to leave out the sriracha. The sriracha doesn't make the dish spicy, but adds a very mild heat.
For this recipe I used a method for sautéing vegetables without oil. I'm definitely not opposed to cooking with oil, as you can tell for most of my recipes. But it worked really well here! To achieve this, put the veggies in a hot pan over medium-high heat. Once things start to get brown- after about 3 minutes- add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan. Stir everything together well. And if the veggies start to stick again in a couple of minutes, add another tablespoon of water. Be careful not to add too much water or you will just end up boiling your veggies. And thats no good.
This Chickpea and Veggie Fried Quinoa recipe makes a BIG batch. About 6-7 cups. And you know what that means- its perfect for meal prepping lunches or just feeding your big family dinner. I paired this with my Chili Garlic Grilled Tofu, but instead of grilling, I baked it. Its also a great meal on its own.
Chickpea and Veggie Fried Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Uncooked Quinoa Or 3.5-4 Cups precooked quinoa
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Small Onion, small dice
- 1 Rib of Celery, small dice
- 1 Large Carrot, small dice
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- Black Pepper to Taste
- 1 Cup Frozen Green Beans, chopped
- 1 15 oz Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ Cup Frozen Peas
For the Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste, optional
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, Optional
- 2 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa well and put into a medium pot. Add the 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
- In a small bowl, combine miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add onions, carrots and celery to a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the veggies begin to soften- about 5 minutes. If the veggies start to stick, just add a tablespoon of water and stir.
- After 5 minutes, add garlic, ginger and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Add green beans and let them defrost for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add all the cooked quinoa, the drained and rinsed chickpeas, frozen peas and the sauce to the pan. Fold everything together and let the peas defrost.
- Serve.
Let me know how you like this recipe!
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