RECIPE: One Pot Quinoa Pilaf

Looking for a healthy dinner in under 30 minutes? This One Pot Quinoa Pilaf checks those boxes. The dish can easily be made vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. 

Serve this dish as a side in smaller portions or a main in larger portions. Recipe author and Under Armour chef Dan Churchill cooked for Lindsay Vonn during the 2018 Olympics and is a big proponent that cooking shouldn’t take a long time or be difficult, but it does have to taste good. 

RELATED: Recipe: Vegan-friendly butternut mac ‘n’ cheese

This dish was created for runners and checks all of their nutritional boxes. You’ve got protein from the chickpeas and turkey, carbohydrates from the quinoa, and essential vitamins from the vegetables. Consider post-run dinner on the table. 

Ingredients (Serves 4):

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, sliced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
500g Turkey mince
1 Can Chickpeas, drained
2 Tbsp Middle Eastern Spice Mix (Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric)
2 Handfuls Spinach
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Chicken Stock

To Serve:
Lemon
Natural Yogurt
Pinch of Salt

Method:
1. In a pot on medium heat add your oil and caramelize your onion for 5-7 minutes before stirring
in your garlic for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Add your ground turkey in and stir until brown and water has evaporated before stirring in
your chickpeas and spice mix for 1 minute
3. Chuck your spinach in along with your quinoa and pour in your chicken stock. Cover with a
lid, bring to a boil and turn heat to low and allow quinoa to open up 10-15 minutes.
4. To serve spoon the layers of the pilaf onto plates top with yogurt olive oil and a squeeze of
lemon juice.