17 Vegan Quinoa Recipes You’ve Never Tried Before
No matter if you eat a gluten-free diet or dabbled in the plant-based world... at one point or another, you've probably come across this nutty pseudo grain before. Quinoa has been getting a lot of attention over the past years, and rightfully so! Its high amount of quality protein (including all essential amino acids), iron, zinc, and fiber, as well as the delicate texture makes it a perfect add-on to anything from salads to hot dishes and even breakfasts.
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This is why we wanted to put the focus on this amazing food and show you 17 vegan quinoa recipes to choose from. Sometimes, we tend to end up eating the same meals over and over again - whereas a various diet could be as simple as switching rice or pasta for quinoa! Though it often is a little more on the expensive side, it's a good idea to try it out without implementing it as a staple food if you don't want to.
Especially if you think or feel like you're not getting enough protein on a plant-based vegan diet, adding some more quinoa is definitely a way to go here. You can also cook it in batches and use up over the next few days, making meal prep pretty easy. Although it's technically not a grain but actually a seed, we usually use it like we would starches. It has a pleasantly nutty taste and is incredibly easy to prepare - once you know how to.
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How To Cook Quinoa
Before cooking quinoa, it's important that you rinse the dry seeds. Quinoa has a natural coating that can make it taste bitter or soapy and we definitely want to avoid that! Boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed but you should give them a quick additional one to be sure.
Some people even soak their quinoa before cooking because it's said to make the seeds even more nutritious - but in the beginning and in everyday life, it's usually too inconvenient to do so. Another tip is to cook it with vegetable broth instead of water to give it an extra kick!
For every cup of dry quinoa, you need about 2 cups liquid. This will give you 3 cups of cooked quinoa after 20 minutes of cooking. There are 3 main varieties of quinoa, including white, red, and black. We suggest you start with the white variety since it's the easiest to like.
So now that you know all of this, let's get right into the delicious recipe ideas for vegan quinoa meals!
1. Fiesta Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup white quinoa, plus ¼ cup red quinoa, washed and drained
- 1 cup fresh corn, off the cob
- 2
cups filtered water - Pinch sea salt
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
- ½ cup finely diced yellow pepper
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Dressing:
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Find the whole recipe & directions at Forks Over Knives
2. Curried Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Sea salt
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup quinoa
- ⅓ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups baby arugula
- Optional garnishes: 2 green onions, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Find the whole recipe & directions at Cookie And Kate
3. Easy Vegan Quinoa Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 3 heaping cups apple
- 4 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ¾ cup quinoa flakes
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Pinch sea salt
Find the whole recipe & directions at The Full Helping
4. Quinoa Curry Bowl
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa (dry)
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 bag frozen “stir-fry blend” vegetables
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- ½ avocado
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Find the whole recipe & directions at Forks Over Knives
5. Quinoa with Acorn Squash & Pomegranate
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of quinoa, cooked
- 1 acorn or kabocha squash
- 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 scallions, green parts only
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of half a lemon
- Salt and pepper
Find the whole recipe & directions at A Thought For Food
6. Colorful Beet Salad with Quinoa & Spinach
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen organic edamame
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- 1 medium raw beet
- 1 medium-to-large carrot
- 2 cups packed baby spinach or arugula
- 1 avocado, cubed
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint or cilantro
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Find the whole recipe & directions at Cookie And Kate
7. Moroccan Vegetable Quinoa Stew
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 small carrots
- 3 small potatoes
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 small eggplant
- 1 can (14½ oz) diced tomatoes
- 5 cups water
- 3 veggie stock cubes
- 1 can (14½ oz) chickpeas
- ½ cup dried apricots
- Salt and pepper
- A little fresh cilantro
- 1 cup quinoa
Find the whole recipe & directions at Joy Of Yum
8. Buckwheat and Quinoa Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp agave or stevia to taste
Find the whole recipe & directions at The Full Helping
9. Quinoa Corn and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa
- 1½ cups frozen corn, thawed
- 2 medium avocados, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ medium red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Sea salt to taste
Find the whole recipe & directions at Forks Over Knives
10. Easy Vegan Quinoa Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup water
- 5 oz. white crimini mushrooms
- 1 tsp favorite all purpose seasoning
- 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- salt to taste
Find the whole recipe & directions at Vegalicious
11. Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
- salt and fresh ground pepper
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
Find the whole recipe & directions at E.A. Steward
12. Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
Bowl
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- pinch of salt
- piece of a vanilla bean
Toppings
- toasted sliced almonds
- toasted coconut flakes
- peaches
- raspberries
- maple syrup
Find the whole recipe & directions at Love And Lemons
13. Quinoa Black Bean Tacos with Avocado
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large avocado
- 1 to 2 medium limes, juiced
- 1 medium jalapeño
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- 6 to 8 small, round corn tortillas
- 1½ cups chopped romaine lettuce
Find the whole recipe & directions at Cookie And Kate
14. Cauliflower Falafel Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ large head of cauliflower
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ cups old fashioned oats
- Toasted buns, hummus, tomato, pickles and lettuce
Find the whole recipe & directions at Cookie And Kate
15. Bok Choi & Oyster Mushroom Quinoa
Ingredients
- 2 King Oyster Mushrooms
- 3 small bunches Bok Choi
- 1/2 cup quinoa rinsed well + 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp sweet white miso
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- drizzle liquid sweetener
- 1/4 tsp umami paste
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp water
- pea shoots
Find the whole recipe & directions at Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
16. Quinoa with Kale & Roasted Butternut
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut or acorn squash
- 3 cups finely chopped kale
- 1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 cup dry/uncooked quinoa
- 1⁄2 cup dry/uncooked millet
- 1⁄3 cup slivered almonds
- 1⁄4 cup raisins
Find the whole recipe & directions at Forks Over Knives
17. Apple Pie Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 small ripe banana mashed
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup apple diced (rest on top)
- 1/3 cup quinoa hot cereal flakes
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons cashew (or other nut) milk
Find the whole recipe & directions at nutritionicity
Have you been trying some of these vegan quinoa recipes? Which ones did you like the most? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author
Alena has been eating a plant-based diet for 6 years and is passionate about sharing her learnings in the fields of nutrition, wellbeing, and vegan ethics. She is the co-creator of nutriciously and loves music, reading, nature, traveling, yoga & good food. Alena received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy, and social work.
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Hey, we're Alena & Lars and this is the place where we share our love & tips for plant-based eating and the vegan lifestyle. 
Thanks so much for sharing my Apple Pie Quinoa Breakfast Bowl!! You have a great roundup here with lots of quinoa lovin’ deliciousness!! :) – Jana
Hey Jana,
your recipes are awesome so of course we needed to feature one at last! Thanks for putting them out there.
Hope this finds you well,
Alena x
I love vegan recipes and all, but we need to stop eating quinoa
http://www.alternet.org/food/quinoa-hot-new-superfood-it-moral-eat-it
Hey Elise,
thanks for sharing. Yes, I see where you’re coming from. And I agree that every choice we make has consequences, much of the food we grow and items we buy have caused some kind of harm in the process.
On this website, we focus on plant-based eating, veganism, and health. We also don’t discourage eating avocados or coconuts, although they aren’t the most reasonable/reasonable choices in the big picture.
Hope you understand! Have fun with our other recipes.
Best wishes,
Alena
In the U.K. one of our supermarkets sells organic British quinoa. Buying this doesn’t impact South America, unless you believe by buying it from where it is not native is morally wrong and indefensible.
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-duchy-organic-british-quinoa/421665-524159-524160