Quinoa with Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Quinoa with Fire Roasted Tomatoes is a quick and flavorful gluten-free source of protein, iron, and fiber.
Quinoa is a perfect companion to any meat or fish main dish, and when you start layering it with a variety of flavors, this dish transforms into a satisfying meal that can stand on its own.
As well as being a super-duper healthy whole grain, quinoa is extremely versatile and can be made with the same concept of fried-rice; toss in whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand and you’ll have one tasty meal!
I made this for a couple of my girlfriends as an appetizer. We got together after the New Year instead of during the holidays, and instead of swapping cookies like we’ve done in the past, we went to a champagne tasting bar for a toast and then relaxed at my house with some hors d’oeuvres.
I sautéed zucchini and eggplant and spiced it up with a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Once mixed with the quinoa, I topped it on steamed pepper slices. I also served it with Trader Joe’s Spicy Soy and Flax Seed Tortilla Chips, which was my favorite way to eat this!
This can be made in advance and served warm or cold and makes a healthy lunch too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 medium eggplant diced
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 14 1/2 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Optional
- 3 large bell peppers cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed and steamed
- Tortilla Chips of your choice
Instructions
- Under cold water rinse quinoa and drain (use a fine meshed sieve or cheesecloth)
- In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil, add quinoa, turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- If serving with bell peppers, steam cut side down over boiling water for about 8-10 minutes.
- In a large skillet heat on medium and add 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil and saute the garlic and onion. Add the eggplant, zucchini and cook until soft. Add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Enjoy as a side dish or if serving as an appetizer slice each pepper into thirds. Spoon vegetable-quinoa mixture into peppers or serve with tortilla chips
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
I’ve never tried quinoa, but I really want to. I love zucchini and will probably eat anything with it in it.
Yum! I’ve had some Quinoa I needed to cook up but I’ve been uninspired with it, this looks great!
This looks amazing. My husband loves quinoa since he ate it all the time while he lived in Brazil. Thanks for sharing! We will have to try this.
I love eggplant and zucchini, and I bet the fire roasted tomatoes added great flavor, too. LOVE the idea of serving these on peppers as an appetizer! Beautiful photos! : )
Thanks, Annie! I love adding all different types of ingredients to quinoa, but my favorite is the spicy flavor from the fire roasted tomatoes!
Now THIS is a quinoa dish I want to make!! Packed full of flavour!
It’s so simple, but does pack a good punch of flavor 🙂
I would be happy with a big bowl of this quinoa and a spoon! YUM!
It’s all you need, really! A glass of white wine would pair nicely with this 🙂
That looks so delish. Will have to make this one.
I hope you do, Debbie! Thank you for stopping by!
I’ve been wanting to try Quinoa. It looks like it has some great benefits that would be useful to me. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Quinoa is really easy to make and I love that it’s available is all the grocery stores now.
The fire roasted tomatoes would add such an awesome flavour without making this overly unhealthy 🙂
I am definitely happy with this!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It’s all good for you stuff in this dish. The tomatoes just add some spice!
I love that idea of serving your little dish as a healthy snack with gluten free tortilla chips, lunch, dinner or middle of the night snack. Sounds delicious with those fire roasted tomatoes. Sharing!
Thanks so much for sharing! Quinoa is awesome little grain and quite filling on its own!