A little over 5 years ago, Heidi of 101 Cookbooks posted her recipe for Double Broccoli Quinoa; I’ve been making it ever since. The double broccoli refers to the crisp-tender florets that are tossed into the dish along with a creamy riff on traditional pesto that involves broccoli and almonds.
There are a number of things that I love about this dish: it’s delicious warm, cold or at room temperature; it works well with any cheese you have on hand, especially crumbly varieties like feta and goat; it’s quick – from start to finish, you’ll be sitting down to eat in less than half an hour. Interested?
There’s more. It’s also wonderful topped with pistachios or walnuts; sliced avocado and/or a fried or poached egg; sriracha or a squeeze of lemon. I think you’ll be impressed with its versatility. Give this a try, and I bet it will be you that’s still making it 5 years from now.
And if you love quinoa, don’t miss this Kale and Quinoa Salad or this Greek Quinoa Salad.
Quinoa with Broccoli Almond Pesto and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli cut into florets
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup toasted almonds divided
- 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- fine sea salt
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
Instructions
To cook the quinoa:
- In a fine-mesh strainer, carefully rinse one cup of quinoa. Add rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan; stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cover – let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot with a tight fitting lid bring 1 cup of water to boil. Add broccoli, spreading it out to cover the bottom of the pot, and cover. Cook for about 3 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain in a colander and set aside.
To make the broccoli pesto:
- With your food processor running, drop garlic clove down the chute. Scrape down sides and add about two cups of the cooked broccoli florets, 1/2 cup almonds, Parmesan and lemon juice. Process until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and sour cream. Pour over broccoli mixture and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
To assemble the dish:
- Add broccoli pesto, remaining broccoli florets and cooked quinoa to a large serving bowl; gently stir to combine. Top with remaining almonds and feta. Serve.
Valerie Cathell Clark says
September 2, 2016 at 4:31 amThis is a keeper!!! Wonderful recipe!!!
Marissa says
September 2, 2016 at 9:31 amThanks, Valerie!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says
January 24, 2015 at 6:07 amI can see why you love this recipe Marissa, it’s amazing AND healthy AND quick! I like crumbly cheeses so so so much. This is really perfect food for me!
Marissa says
January 24, 2015 at 9:52 amAwesome, thanks Paula!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
January 23, 2015 at 6:50 pmMarissa, I’m just going to get it over with and do the love dance right now. You cool with that? I’m dreaming about having a bowl of this and then just closing my eyes loving every delish moment and delightfully tasty bite! Pinned!
Marissa says
January 25, 2015 at 9:27 amWow, thanks Kristi!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
January 22, 2015 at 7:14 amThis is such a clever twist on quinoa. It can be so boring sometimes, but this anything but boring. Plus, I adore broccoli and pesto, so this is definitely on my list of healthy meals to make soon!
Marissa says
January 25, 2015 at 9:27 amThanks, Nicole. I’d love to hear what you think…
Kevin | keviniscooking says
January 21, 2015 at 11:04 amThis looks and sounds so good. I love the olive oil/sour cream mixture and the flavors and textures sound perfect.
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 12:29 pmThanks, Kevin. Yes! The sour cream adds some creaminess and complexity to the pesto for sure.
Cris says
January 21, 2015 at 10:53 amLove this salad! I will definitely try it out! 🙂
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 12:27 pmThanks Cris!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor says
January 21, 2015 at 10:51 amI love salads that are great warm or cold. I would love a big bowl of this for lunch.
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 12:27 pmThanks Ashley! You and me both – especially for lazy days and to-go lunches!
Joanne says
January 21, 2015 at 4:31 amDouble the broccoli is double the fun! (Or something like that.) I actually made this a few years ago and loved it also! Great taste buds think alike. 🙂
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 7:09 amYes, great taste buds do! 🙂
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
January 21, 2015 at 4:23 amWow, it says a lot that you’re still making this dish 5 years later – I think it’s a must try! It looks delicious and I love the crumbled cheese and nuts on top.
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 7:08 amThanks, Faith!
eatingwithalicecontactJess says
January 21, 2015 at 12:11 amOoh yum! When I was in Italy years ago, an Italian family made me a broccoli pasta dish which sounds a bit like the broccoli pesto above. I loved it! I might make this dish to reminisce…
Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen says
January 20, 2015 at 11:38 pmI feel like I’m so terrible at finding ways to infuse flavor into quinoa dishes, but this one looks like it’s loaded with all kinds of flavors. I love the addition of the feta to complement the pesto!
Marissa says
January 21, 2015 at 7:08 amThanks, Sarah. I do love that extra creaminess of feta on top!
Erin | Well Plated says
January 20, 2015 at 7:59 pmThis looks like a big bowl of healthy goodness that would put me in a great mood!
Marissa says
January 20, 2015 at 9:01 pmThanks, Erin! And I know what you mean – it is the kind of food that makes you feel great.
hipfoodiemom says
January 20, 2015 at 12:37 pmlove this quinoa with almond pesto!! and yes, love dishes that are versatile. . I would totally devour this with with pistachios, some sliced avocado and a fried egg!!!
Marissa says
January 20, 2015 at 4:05 pmI’m with you, Alice. In fact, what isn’t better topped with a fried egg?!?! 😉
atasteofmadess says
January 20, 2015 at 12:16 pmQuinoa, broccoli AND feta? These are like my favorite things! I love the look of this!
Marissa says
January 20, 2015 at 12:26 pmThanks, Cathleen!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
January 20, 2015 at 6:30 amI really like quinoa in salads but it just doesn’t ‘do it’ for me in other dishes. I don’t know why but I’ll call this a salad and it will be perfect for me. 🙂
Marissa says
January 20, 2015 at 10:28 amYes! Let’s call it a salad. 😉
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
January 20, 2015 at 1:10 amHello, Marissa! I think I’d better try this very soon since it comes so highly recommended! There’s nothing I like better than recipes that have stood the test of time.
I also love that this is easy to make and super healthy. Pinning this one on my healthy board!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
January 20, 2015 at 1:04 amI love versatile recipes like this and the fact that it’s quick is also wonderful! 😀
Marissa says
January 20, 2015 at 10:28 amThanks, Lorraine!
Kristal Aden says
January 19, 2015 at 9:05 pmThis looks SO amazing!! But my son is allergic to all nuts & seeds:( Any suggestions on a replacement for the almonds in the pesto? Thank you!!:)
Marissa says
January 19, 2015 at 9:22 pmWow, Kristal – poor guy. Can he have Quinoa? I think it’s technically a seed. For the pesto, I would just skip the nuts and add a little more broccoli and Parmesan in their place.
amanda says
January 19, 2015 at 7:51 pmOooh, this looks so delicious! Broccoli and feta is one of my favorite combos!
Marissa says
January 19, 2015 at 9:15 pmThanks, Amanda + me too!