Quinoa with Tasty Early Summer Herbs

People often don’t use enough herbs with their grains. In the quantity here, herbs work like another vegetable, both for taste and nutrients. Tangy sorrel is a wonderful summer herb, with good-sized leaves similar to spinach. If you can’t find it, substitute the zest of one lemon, stirred in at the end.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound baby carrots with tops
1 1/4 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound sweet green onions, chopped into 1/2-inch sections, including green tops
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 ounces fresh sorrel leaves, cut crosswise into ribbons (about 2 cups)
1 ounce fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 3/4 – 1 cup)
2 ounces (1/2 bunch) flat-leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Clean and trim carrots. Spread on a baking sheet misted with olive oil spray. Roast until carrots pierce easily with a fork, about 1 hour. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Rinse quinoa very well. Place in a pot with 2½ cups water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté green onions in olive oil over medium heat, until the sting has cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add cooked quinoa, sorrel, basil, and parsley. Stir, season with salt and pepper, and let herbs just wilt in the warm quinoa. Transfer to a serving dish and top with carrots and pine nuts.

PER SERVING: 182 cal, 38% fat cal, 8g fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg chol, 5g protein, 24g carb, 3g fiber, 38mg sodium

This recipe by Donna Prizgintas was provided by New Hope Network. FoodTrients is a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people.