I personally don’t eat much meat. In fact I haven’t eaten red meat or seafood in more than 20 years. I’ll eat chicken once in awhile, but by default, I gravitate toward vegetarian recipes.
That’s why I want to share with you some easy quinoa recipes for other non-meat eaters!
I personally vegetarian meals better because of the taste (call me crazy, buy my taste buds just wretch at most meat!) But if you take meat out of some of your cooking, you’ll save money too!
Plus there are many health benefits to quinoa! Being anemic myself from having a low meat diet, I was pleased to read about the iron content in quinoa.
Here is a nice compilation of 31 different easy quinoa recipes.
Not all of these recipes are meatless, but this is a wonderful collection of recipes if you want to try and experiment with implementing quinoa into your diet! This is one of the ONLY plant foods that is a complete protein!
Quinoa, Zucchini and Corn in Lemon Butter Recipe
This Weight Watchers Quinoa Salad is made with diced zucchini, corn kernels and a deliciously tasty, fresh honey lemon butter!
And with only 3 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per serving, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not trying it!
Citrus Quinoa and Chickpea Salad
Full of vibrant flavors! Nutty quinoa, creamy feta, crunchy carrots and refreshing citrus. A quick and easy salad that’s loaded with nutrition!
Quinoa Breakfast Scramble Recipe – 12 Weight Watchers Points Plus Value
In this post, I’m going to give you a scrumptious quinoa breakfast recipe.
But, first of all, what is quinoa?
Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain, that is a part of the spinach and chard family. It’s also gluten-free and a great food choice for people who suffer from food allergies.
The carbs in quinoa are low-glycemic, which also makes it a great food for those who suffer from Diabetes. Quinoa is a plant-based food that is considered a complete protein.
Quinoa Black Bean Taco Bowl
These Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls are the perfect “flexitarian” lunch or dinner. It’s a deconstructed burrito, loosely based on Chipotle’s burrito bowl.
I’ve replaced rice with cilantro lime quinoa to add protein and nutrients. Black beans are simmered with onions, garlic, and spices for added flavor. I have listed several optional toppings, so you can make this bowl all your own.
So many possibilities!
Greek Salad With Quinoa
Recently we were headed to a summer potluck and I needed to bring a side. I headed to the store to grab something, but I did not know what I was going to make yet. So I racked my brain in the store and this is what I came up with, Greek Salad With Quinoa.
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
I decided to put the Daregal fresh frozen herbs to test in one of my favorite recipes that I have not made in a long time: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. Let me just say they work great!
Quinoa Avocado and Corn Salad Recipe
I made a southwest-inspired salad using the quinoa, and it tasted very good. The quinoa has a very mild, nutty flavor, so the predominant taste was the vegetables and spices I added. Even my husband had seconds, and he is not a fan of similar dishes made with couscous or bulgar wheat.
Crock Pot Quinoa and Vegetables Recipe
Looking for a tasty vegan crockpot option or just something healthy?! Check out this Crockpot Quinoa and Vegetables recipe that turns out delicious every time!
Mediterranean Confetti Quinoa Salad
A healthy, beautiful, and wildly delicious quinoa salad! Quinoa and confetti greens are accented with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, cheese, and a fabulous balsamic vinaigrette.
Warm Quinoa Salad with Corn and Black Beans
This is a really easy recipe to prepare and it is full of great nutrition! We love it so much, that is often is just the main dish! But we will also sometimes couple it with a bit of chicken.
Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Quinoa has been called a superfood and it’s one of my favorites! It is a complete protein and is also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.
For those of you that are gluten-free, you know that you can enjoy this gluten-free “grain.” This recipe can easily be a gluten-free recipe as long as you pay attention to the label of the canned beans and apple cider vinegar that you use.
Quinoa and Pecan Casserole
Quinoa has long been one of my favorite side dishes, but recently I’ve been looking for more ways to make it a main dish. We certainly aren’t vegetarian but we don’t want meat for dinner every evening either.
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make veggie nights a little tastier. My quinoa and pecan casserole fits the bill.
Sun-Dried Tomato Quinoa Recipe
Our Try Something New last week was quinoa. I made this simple side dish to accompany a pork loin. Really you could add different vegetables and seasonings depending on what you have on hand.
Cheesy Quinoa Cakes Recipe
Since all things taste better (in my opinion) when you add cheese, I decided to take my beloved quinoa and get cheesy with it. If you decide to try out this recipe, make sure you use a non-stick pan and plenty of olive oil.
These quinoa cakes do have a tendency to stick a bit but the slightly crunchy exterior you get with the cheese and olive oil is divine!
Pesto Quinoa
This pesto quinoa is rich, satisfying, and so easy to make. It’s the next best thing to eating a bowl of pesto pasta, and it’s perfect if you’re trying to reduce your pasta consumption and up your intake of more nutrient-dense grains.
Instant Pot Quinoa Salad With Feta
This Quinoa has cucumbers, feta, and tomatoes in it – and is served cold! The best part is that you can customize it with more ingredients like chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and green onions!
Vegetarian Tacos with Quinoa
This gluten-free taco recipe is incredibly simple and quick to make. With just one-pan, you can make the most delicious quinoa taco filling ever!
Quinoa Dishes with Meat
Easy, Healthy Chicken Salad with Quinoa, Tomatoes, Lemon, and Basil
This gorgeous salad is perfect as a main course, or as a hearty side! Fabulous served warm or totally chilled, it can even be adapted for vegetarians. So easy and incredibly delicious – it’ll quickly become a favorite at picnics and at dinner!
Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
Here we are again with another quinoa recipe! I am loving it, if you couldn’t tell from my Chicken Fried Quinoa and Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites recipes. You could also use ground beef with this recipe, but I had chicken thawed out in the fridge.
Chicken Fried Quinoa
I am trying to lower the amount of carbs I eat, but for someone who is addicted to all things carby, it is SO HARD! I have found a love for quinoa recently thanks to my vegan sister-in-law. Quinoa makes a great replacement for rice, and who doesn’t love chicken fried rice?
Chicken Fajita Quinoa Bake (No Pre-Cooking!)
The family-pleasing flavors of chicken fajitas, in a simple baked casserole! Bonus: the base is super-healthy quinoa, with no pre-cooking needed! Seriously delicious, and soooooo easy!
Quinoa with Chorizo and Chayote Squash Recipe
This is a delicious main dish using quinoa and spicy chorizo sausage. I love chorizo, but it isn’t exactly low fat, so I wanted to use just a little for the taste, and have most of the dish be more healthy ingredients.
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Quinoa Bites
Quinoa has become one of my favorite ingredients to work with. I made Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites recently, but I wanted something that my kiddo would eat as well.
These are so yummy and fun to eat, but packed with good stuff! I love making these in my mini cupcake pans, they end up perfectly kid-sized.
You can also make a big batch of these and freeze them for later! Did I mention these are super easy to make!?
Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Squash Recipe
The spicy sausage went perfectly with the squash and quinoa, and one squash per adult was the right serving size. The squash had a very mild flavor, so the kids liked it better than something stronger like butternut squash.
Sweet Quinoa Recipes
Cinnamon and Blackberry Breakfast Quinoa
Quinoa for breakfast? It’s not as weird as you think! This Cinnamon and Blackberry Breakfast Quinoa will keep you full and satisfied all morning long. Not to mention, it’s a delicious way to start your day!
Cinnamon Quinoa Bars
I have been craving some sweets lately and wanted to find a healthy choice for my sweet tooth. I stumbled upon this recipe for cinnamon quinoa bars and decided to give it a shot. I was not disappointed!!!
Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Acai Infused Quinoa Breakfast Cereal
My kids get bored with cereal very quickly so I always have my eye out for a new healthy breakfast recipe that they might enjoy. This is a really simple way to get just about every food group into your meal and it would work as a healthy lunch as well as breakfast.
Berry Lemon Quinoa Breakfast Bake Recipe
I love how flexible this recipe is, too. During the summer, it’s a great way to use up berries that are on sale (or a great recipe to make after going berry picking!), but it’s equally great with frozen berries in the winter. It would also be amazing with diced peaches, plums, apples, and more – the options are endless!
Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
The classic chocolate chip cookie with the protein punch of quinoa. Healthy, gluten-free, vegan, quinoa chocolate chip cookies that will fool anyone into thinking they’re eating a decadent dessert. These call for a double batch!
Quinoa Fruit Salad with Sweet Lime Dressing
Quinoa Fruit Salad tossed in a Sweet Lime Dressing – a colorful, healthy side dish that goes with any meal!
Find some other easy and frugal recipes over here!
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Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
I just adore quinoa, too! It’s so full of amazing nutrition and easily adapts to so many types of recipes and flavor profiles! Love that you put together such a great list of inspired ways to use it – I’m definitely pinning this to remember, and to share with my followers! Thanks so much for the great ideas!
Nandini says
Quinoa is shown to have a low glycemic index (53), thus it is recommended in diabetic patients.