Pickled Chard Quinoa Bowls

spring quinoa bowls (w/ pickled chard stems) / loveandlemons.com walnut pesto & balsamic mushrooms / loveandlemons.com

Lately, our weekends have been filled with some pretty extravagant eats. After a few weeks in a row of food & wine fests, gelato fests (oh, yes), and dinners out with friends, I’ve been feeling a little over-indulged, to say the least. Quinoa to the rescue!

Nothing helps me feel more grounded than a bowl of quinoa piled with veggies. This bowl is pretty simple if you’ve prepped a few of these items in advance. I like to make a big batch of quinoa and keep it in the fridge all week. Same with pesto… and this week I happened to have these pickled chard stems on hand.

I cooked up some mushrooms with my new favorite combo – balsamic & soy sauce – then piled the veggies into bowls. I you haven’t pickled chard yet, you could sub in some dried fruit for a pop of sweetness.

Here’s to a happy healthy weekend! (With maybe just a small scoop of gelato).

spring quinoa bowls

 
Author:
Serves: serves 2
Ingredients
  • a few cups chopped cremini mushrooms
  • salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
  • splash of balsamic vinegar
  • splash of soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1.5 cups cooked quinoa
  • a few handfuls spinach, chopped (or sauteed chard)
  • a few slabs of tofu, cubed
  • 1-2 radishes, sliced thin
  • ½ cup edamame (frozen is ok, thaw it)
  • a few spoonfuls of pickled chard stems
  • a few dollops of walnut pesto
  • more salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook your quinoa and make your pesto (both can be done ahead).
  2. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil (or coconut oil), to the pan, then add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt. Toss to coat and then let the mushrooms cook (without touching them) for a couple of minutes. Stir, and let them continue browning on all sides. (This happens when you stir them only occasionally so they can caramelize).
  3. Once your mushrooms are starting to really brown, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and stir. Add a smaller splash of soy sauce, stir again. Let cook for (about) 30 seconds more and remove them from the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Note - if you've over-salted them, just salt your quinoa less).
  4. Assemble bowls with quinoa, mushrooms, spinach, tofu, radishes, edamame, chard stems, and a dollop of pesto. (or whatever assortment of veggies you like).
Notes
Bake or pan-sear your tofu if you're not a fan of plain raw tofu. (salt it, chop it, bake it for about 20 minutes, or sear slabs in a pan for about 1 minute per side).

12 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. I am with you, grain and veggie bowls are my ultimate healthy reset meal after one too many indulgences 🙂 And the picked chard stems are so original, I’ll have to try them out!

  2. I don’t make nearly enough dinners with quinoa. This looks so good!

  3. Beth from mealinprogress.blogspot.com
    05.19.2014

    Looks delicious! I love tofu.

  4. cheri from mysavoryspoon.blogspot.com
    05.17.2014

    Hi Jeanine, pickled chard sounds amazing, love these quinoa bowls! Love a food filled week-end!

  5. These bowls are so pretty! I love whipping a variation one of these up for a quick and nutritious lunch – the acidity from the pickles is killer!

  6. Leah Davis from georgiapeachonmymind.com
    05.16.2014

    Yum!! Perfect detox/vacation recovery salad 🙂

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.