Quinoa and Lentil Pilaf
Heart healthy quinoa meets protein and fiber rich lentils. This perfect pairing creates a fantastic meal accompaniment that is not just clean-eat but gluten free and vegan/vegetarian friendly too!
Servings: 4
Calories: 373kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils (dried)
- ½ cup carrots (diced)
- 2 sprigs fine thyme
- 1-2 bay leaves
- ¼ medium onion (roughly chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ¾ cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Wash lentils and add them to a pot along with the carrots, thyme, bay leaf, onion, garlic, salt and black pepper. Add water (approx 2 cups) and bring to a boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat, allowing the lentils to cook for 20 minutes until tender.
- In another pot add the rinsed quinoa and 1 3/4 cups of broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the quinoa, allowing it to cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the quinoa from the heat and allow to stand (still covered) for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add coconut oil to the lentils and fold in until all the lentils are coated. Let the lentils rest for a minute or two.
- Finally, add the quinoa to the lentils and fold both together until just combined.
- Serve immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- To make this dish more of an authentic pilaf, toast the dry quinoa over med-low heat until fragrant before boiling it in the broth. (If you opt to do this, skip the step of washing the quinoa).
- For non-vegans and non-vegetarians, the vegetable broth can be substituted for chicken broth or chicken bone broth.