Quinoa Pilaf With Sweet Peas and Green Garlic
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ⅔cup quinoa
- ¾cup shelled fresh peas (1 pound unshelled)
- Salt to taste
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1leek, white and light green part only, halved, cleaned of sand and sliced thin
- 1bulb green garlic, tough stalk cut away and papery shells removed, sliced thin
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1tablespoon chopped chives
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or a combination of parsley and tarragon
- Freshly ground pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the peas. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer until tender, 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the size and freshness. Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the peas. Measure out 2 cups of the cooking water (add fresh water if necessary), return to the pot, add salt to taste, bring to a boil and add the quinoa. When the water comes back to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and, in the case of white quinoa, displays a thread. Remove from the heat, drain through a strainer and return to the pot. Cover the pot with a clean dish towel and return the lid. Let sit 15 minutes.
- Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-low heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add the leek and sliced green garlic. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until tender, fragrant and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and peas to the pan and toss together with the remaining olive oil for about 2 minutes, taking care not to mash the peas. Add the fresh herbs, grind in some pepper, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.
- Advance preparation: You can cook the peas and the quinoa up to a few days ahead (though the peas will lose much of their sweetness) and keep in the refrigerator.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Very nice when fresh peas are in season. Perhaps try basil instead of the tarragon. It needed a little oomph.
Not a quinoa fan but this changed me. Great as a side. I’m going to cook the quinoa with some vege stock next time.
My friend made this for a birthday party (grilled chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, etc.), and it was the perfect side dish. She didn't have fresh green garlic so she used fresh garlic instead. It was so delicious. I could have eaten the whole bowl. I will definitely be making this myself. It's really wonderful. The leeks make it.
Very nice when fresh peas are in season. Perhaps try basil instead of the tarragon. It needed a little oomph.
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