Quinoa and Beet Pilaf

Quinoa and Beet Pilaf
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(236)
Comments
Read comments

Use regular pearl white quinoa for this beautiful pink pilaf, which uses both roasted beets and their greens.

Featured in: Proper Uses for Quinoa

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4 to 6
  • 1bunch of beets 3 large, 4 medium or 5 small, roasted
  • ¾ to 1pound beet greens (the greens from 1 generous bunch)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 to 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 2teaspoons caraway seeds, lightly crushed
  • 3cups cooked regular quinoa
  • 2ounces goat cheese, crumbled or diced ½ cup
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

418 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 561 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Scrub and roast the beets. Once they are cooled, remove the skins and cut into ¼-inch dice. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Blanch the greens in a large pot of generously salted water or steam them above an inch of boiling water until wilted, one to two minutes. Refresh with cold water, squeeze dry and chop.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the caraway, beet greens, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir over medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute until the greens are nicely infused with the garlic and oil. Add the beets and quinoa. Toss together until the ingredients are well combined and the quinoa is heated through and colored with beet juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Transfer to a wide serving bowl or platter, and sprinkle the goat cheese over the top. Serve hot.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: All of the major ingredients — the roasted beets, blanched greens and cooked quinoa — will keep for four days in the refrigerator.

Ratings

4 out of 5
236 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

I always roast my beets with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a bit of olive oil. Adds some good flavor.

Old boiled beets in the fridge... tossed into quinoa after toasting and adding liquid. Easy and with chopped walnuts an excellent Thursday night adaptation.

Click on the highlighted text 'beets' in Step 1 to see an article about preparing the beets.

I quartered the beets skin on with evoo and garlic salt and then roasted. Cooks faster, more vits, more tasty!

Added one green chill pepper and used cilantro spinach instead of beet greens. Cooked the Quinoa in veg broth. Best beet recipe!

Fantastic. Cooked the beets, greens (chard) & quinoa ahead of time. Based on suggestions from others, substituted cumin seeds for caraway seeds, & added garbanzo beans & roasted chopped walnuts. Also added slices of roasted sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke). I think this could be assembled & cooked ahead of time (except for the cheese) and then reheated with some water on the bottom of the pan to slowly reheat. Would make a simple & beautiful company meal. Suggest doubling or tripling of beets.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.