Quinoa Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Easy 30-minute Quinoa Stir Fry packed with veggies and flavorful peanut sauce! A healthy vegetarian meal the whole family will love.

Say hello to a weeknight dinner that's CHOCK FULLA plants and quinoa and stuff. If you loved this Instant Pot Pad Thai Stir Fry or my Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry, you're in for another treat.

She's healthy! She's tasty! She feeds a crowd! And isn't she a dish? Oh la la. I mean anything peanut sauce + one pot wonder and I'm in.

The best part about this veggie stir fry is that you've got your healthy fats, veggies, and plant protein all in one so there's no need to fuss about side dishes. Celebrate the small wins!

How to make quinoa stir fry

Consider this your empty-the-fridge meal. Throw it all in there! The best part about this vegetarian stir fry is that it makes a LOT. And the leftovers taste even better!

1. Cook quinoa.
2. Whisk together the sauce.
3. Sauté veggies until softened. Stir in quinoa and sauce and devour!

Key ingredients

Don't fret about the lengthy looking ingredient list---it's mostly veggies and you don't have to use them all. The peanut sauce couldn't be easier to make.

Did I mention it's a dream drizzled on veggies and and all the things?

• Quinoa: The base of our stir fry! Packed with protein, nutty tasting, and quick-cooking. It's technically a seed (that's what they mean by "pseudo-grain.") I used white quinoa for this recipe, but you could also use red or tri-color.
• Veggies: Bell pepper, carrot, broccoli and bok choy are my go-to for this meal but you can use whatever veggies, fresh or frozen, yo have on hand.
• Aromatics: Plenty of onion, garlic and ginger for flavor!
• Peanut butter: This makes the sauce super creamy and crave-worthy. I love Costco's organic creamy peanut butter in the sauce, but whatever peanut butter you fancy will do. Or even almond butter!
• Soy sauce: The best salty, umami flavor to form our yummy sauce.
• Maple syrup: A bit of natural sweetness helps round out all the flavors.
• Sesame oil: I love sesame oil in Asian-inspired dishes! Olive oil works, too.
• Lime: A bit of bright acidity for balance.
• Sriracha: I love a tiny bit of heat. Red pepper flakes work too!

How to cook quinoa

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the bitter tasting outer layer.
2. Place in a small saucepan with 1 ¼ cups water. (I typically do a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 1 ½ parts liquid).
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed and quinoa looks fluffy.
4. Fluff with a fork, transfer to a medium bowl, and allow it to cool.

Time saving tips

• Use pre-cooked quinoa if you so please! Or rice! It's a thing. You can find it in the frozen section of most grocery stores. Time is money, people.
• Try frozen veggies. I get massive bags of frozen stir fry veggies at Costco that I often use in place of fresh veggies so I don't have to chop anything. It saves tons of time!
• Use fridge leftovers! This stir fry is really forgiving. Peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, green beans, zucchini, asparagus, wilty greens...throw them in the mix. The more veggies the merrier.
• Go dried. Use garlic powder, bottled ginger (or dried!), and bottled lime juice (I always have this one on hand) if you don't have fresh. No shame!

Health benefits of quinoa

As a Registered Dietitian, I love quinoa because it's a complete plant protein with all 9 essential amino acids, trumping the protein content of other whole grains.

It's also higher in minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc (compared to corn, rice and wheat). It has a good amount of filling fiber as well.

Why do you rinse quinoa?

Quinoa has naturally occurring compounding called saponins that taste bitter. They definitely need to be rinsed off for optimal flavor! Some come come pre-rinsed so check the package.

Simply rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve until it's no longer foamy then proceed with cooking.

How to store

Store leftovers in an air tight container in fridge. They will keep for up to three days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.

Can you freeze stir fry?

Yes! You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

More 30-minute meals

• Butternut Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese
• Thai Pasta Salad with Tahini Lime Dressing
• Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Pesto Orzo
• Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
• Thai Quinoa Fried Rice
• Peanut Noodles

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