Hi Everyone! I have a super quick & easy quinoa side dish to share with you today that you can easily whip up in about twenty to thirty minutes! This Creamy Mushroom & Parmesan Quinoa is, as the name suggests, so creamy thanks to all the cheese, and really hearty and satisfying, yet still pretty light. I love how versatile of an ingredient quinoa is; that you can use it in both sweet and savory recipes, serve it hot or cold , and make it into a main dish or a side dish! I’ve cooked it in pretty much all these ways, and this is one of my favorites! You could substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms, or even add in shredded chicken and make this into a main dish!
CREAMY MUSHROOM & PARMESAN QUINOA
YOU WILL NEED
1 1/2 cups quinoa (uncooked)
3 cups water
8oz mushrooms (baby bella or button), sliced
1/2 – 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 – 3 tbs olive oil
Salt & Pepper
2 – 3 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
Optional: red pepper flakes, dried thyme, 1 tbs butter
DIRECTIONS
1. First, cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the box (combine the uncooked quinoa with water and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, the quinoa is fluffy and has little “tails”). Make sure you rinse the quinoa before cooking it! If you want to add extra flavor, cook the quinoa in chicken stock instead of water.
2. While you cook the quinoa, prepare your mushrooms. Thinly slice them, and saute them in a medium sized pan with some olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper (I also add in a pinch of red pepper flakes and dried thyme, but that’s totally optional) and cook until the mushrooms have browned nicely. Set aside.
3. Next, add grated Parmesan cheese to your cooked quinoa (I add about 1/2 cup and then add extra on top right before serving) and stir well, until the quinoa becomes nice and creamy, and has almost a creamy risotto texture. Stir in the chopped parsley (I use Italian flat leaf, but you can use curly if you prefer that. Reserve some of it for sprinkling on the top) and mushrooms, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if you need to! And if you’re feeling extra indulgent, add in a tablespoon of butter to add some more creaminess!
If you like this Creamy Mushroom & Parmesan Quinoa, check out more of my quinoa recipes:
Left: Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Fruit, Nuts & Seeds, Middle: Kale Salad with Quinoa, Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Seeds, Right: Cheesy Quinoa & Broccoli Patties
And since this recipe uses fresh parsley and you may have some left over, this is my favorite ways to store the leftover fresh herbs so they don’t go to waste! Check it out here!
Happy Cooking, Everyone!
I will be linking to these awesome blogs!
