15-minute pesto quinoa with riced broccoli and chickpea walnut mash

protein-packed quinoa is combined with creamy pesto and riced broccoli then topped with a chickpea walnut mash.  

Don’t you love when random dishes that you make end up being some of your favorites?

I made this dish in an attempt to sneak some veggies into Owen’s meal, ended up eating some of it myself for lunch and loved it!

I think I’ve said this before, but I really feel like you can slap pesto on just about anything and it will make it delicious.  I’m pretty sure I would happily eat a piece of cardboard if there were a slather of pesto on it.

Similar to the cinnamon raisin walnut oatmeal that I posted yesterday, this dish not only comes together quickly, but is packed with stuff you’re likely to have in your pantry.  I love meals like that!

In fact, that’s literally how I made this meal.  I was rummaging around trying to figure out a good dish to make Owen for lunch and I just started grabbing random things out of the pantry – pesto, chickpeas, walnuts and then headed to the freezer and grabbed a bag of riced broccoli that I had gotten last week and never made.  I started cooking and viola!  An easy, no fuss meal.

You’re getting a dish that’s packed with protein, heart-healthy fats, whole grains and veggies not to mention tons of flavor.  The dish is already packed with protein thanks to the quinoa so you can skip the chickpea walnut mash if you want (I served it to Owen this way), but I think it adds nice crunchy texture to an otherwise very soft dish.

It also keeps fairly well in the fridge and as it keeps, the flavors just marinate even more so every time you pull some out and re-heat it, you’re getting a better and better dish!  Definitely worth keeping in your back pocket (and a case for always keeping a jar of pesto in the fridge!)

15-minute pesto quinoa with riced broccoli and chickpea walnut mash

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
• Category: dinner

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Description

protein-packed quinoa is combined with creamy pesto and riced broccoli then topped with a chickpea walnut mash.  

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup tri-color quinoa, cooked according to package instructions
• 1 package of frozen riced broccoli
• 1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional topping: freshly shaved parmesan

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Instructions

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions (I love using vegetable broth as my liquid to cook it in).
2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat adding a drizzle of olive oil once the pan is hot. Add riced broccoli to the pan and sauté until tender (about 5-7 minutes, longer if you prefer less crunch).
3. Once the quinoa is cooked, combine with sautéed broccoli, sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss with pesto while still warm. Set aside.
4. Add chickpeas and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped (note you can skip this step and just add whole or roughly chopped if desired).
5. Mix chickpea and walnut mixture into the quinoa and broccoli mixture and toss to combine.
6. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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Notes

• Dish will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge

Keywords: vegetarian, meatless, chickpeas, quinoa, dinner, lunch

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