This version of the traditional red beans and rice favorite is on the easier side of the scale, switching out the rice for delicious quinoa, a good stand-in for rice because it has nice texture, good grassy flavor, and, best of all, it can be cooked very quickly. This is an ideal weeknight meal or weekend brunch dish.
Steps
1
Making the Beans and Quinoa
Ingredients
1 lg onion, cubed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained*
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
*Note: While this recipe suggests using canned beans (for convenience), dried beans that have been cooked yourself are always preferred. One cup of dried beans, equals 3 cups of cooked beans, which is the equivalent to the 2 cans called for in the recipe.
In sauté pan on medium to high heat, add the onions, peppers and celery to the pan, moving around the pan allowing the sugars to be released until the onions are slightly golden and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock to deglaze and pick up those sugars to caramelize onions.
Add the garlic and thyme and cook until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the kidney beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, to allow the flavors to come together, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the quinoa. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using), and simmer on low covered, until the quinoa is cooked and the flavors are well blended, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.
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The most flavorful way I have ever made quinoa. Not sure if it was homemade stock, simmering it with the beans before adding the quinoa or what, but it was yummy! I substituted red pepper for green and mixed one can of dark kidney and one can of light kidney beans. Love all the recipes in this course so far, many thanks.
This was delicious! I added bay leaf, garlic powder and 1/3 low-salt veggie broth to the beans while cooking and the final product was so tasty! An easy recipe worth completing to help shore up your legume cooking skills and relish the mix and taste of red kidney beans with quinoa!
Julie Z •The most flavorful way I have ever made quinoa. Not sure if it was homemade stock, simmering it with the beans before adding the quinoa or what, but it was yummy! I substituted red pepper for green and mixed one can of dark kidney and one can of light kidney beans. Love all the recipes in this course so far, many thanks.
Dennis S •This was delicious! I added bay leaf, garlic powder and 1/3 low-salt veggie broth to the beans while cooking and the final product was so tasty! An easy recipe worth completing to help shore up your legume cooking skills and relish the mix and taste of red kidney beans with quinoa!