Home / Side Dish Recipes / Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix

Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

Updated:

Jump to Recipe


A simple yet delicious side dish, this Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free!

Forkful of quinoa pilaf with mirepoix.

I like to keep things interesting at our dinner table by not always serving the same old sides of rice or salad. If a side is simple enough that I can focus most of my attention on the main dish, all the better! My Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix uses only a few simple ingredients, but is mostly a dish that you can prepare in 5 minutes and then let cook without watching it much so you can get the kids to wash their hands, set the table, or focus on the main meal! It’s a tasty way to get a serving of vegetables, and is vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free! It’ll make a great side to go along with stews, grilled chicken, or fish!

Ingredients

  • Quinoa: A surprisingly good source of protein and other nutrients, it has a mild nutty taste and pleasant texture.
  • Olive oil: A heart healthy oil used to sauté the veggies and toast the dry quinoa.
  • Carrot: Adds a bit of natural sweetness, also a great source of vitamin C and potassium.
  • Onion: I use a white onion for mild onion flavor and delicious caramelization.
  • Celery: Very mild flavor, but adds a ton of nutritional benefit.
  • Broth: Use veggie broth to keep this dish vegan and vegetarian, or you could also use chicken broth. It cooks the quinoa and infuses it with more flavor.
  • Italian seasoning: Typically a mix of oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic, and thyme. Adds wonderful flavor to the dish.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Adds necessary acidity and a bit of tang to the final dish.

How to Make Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix

Start your quinoa pilaf with mirepoix by taking your dry, uncooked quinoa and soaking it in water for about 5 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water.

Next you’ll get started on your mirepoix by taking your chopped carrots, celery, and onion and adding them to the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil.

Sauté the veggies until tender, about 4 minutes, before adding the quinoa and toast until you can smell the nutty aroma.

Stir in the Italian seasoning and season with some salt and black pepper to taste.

Pour in the veggie broth over the veggies and toasted quinoa.

Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then bring to a boil over high heat.

After it’s boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until liquid is fully absorbed.

Quinoa pilaf with mirepoix.

Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed, then serve garnished with fresh parsley, and enjoy your Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mirepoix?

Mirepoix is French for the combination of onions, celery, and carrots and is used as a base in cooking to provide aromatic flavor.

Can you eat a mirepoix on its own?

It’s typically used as a base to be used in other things, but you could eat it on its own as a veggie dish!

What can you use a mirepoix for?

Like I’ve mentioned, it can be used as the base for many things including soups, sauces, cooked with meat dishes, and more!

Main Dish Ideas

Eat It, Like It, Share It!

Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.

Liz eating quinoa pilaf with mirepoix.

If you make rice frequently as a side with your meals, my Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix is an easy way to shake things up a bit without making things more difficult for you!

Your fork is waiting.

Have you tried my
Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix?

Leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how you liked it in the 📝 comments and share it on Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest.

We love hearing from you! This helps us continue to provide free, high-quality recipes.

Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix

4.41 stars average
Liz Della Croce
A simple yet delicious side dish, this Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free!
PREP: 5 minutes
COOK: 30 minutes
TOTAL: 35 minutes
Pin
Servings7

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 carrot (diced small)
  • ½ medium onion (diced small)
  • 1 celery stalk (diced small)
  • 1 ¾ cup organic or reduced sodium vegetable broth (I used chicken)
  • ½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, cover quinoa in water and allow it to soak for 5 minutes. Stir quinoa and pour into a strainer, rinse with cool water.
  • Dry the saucepan, then heat it over medium heat and add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add carrot, onion, and celery and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Add quinoa and saute until the mixture emits a nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil on high.
  • Reduce heat to low, add Italian seasoning then cover, and cook for 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and liquid is completely absorbed. Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes and then stir in the vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps us to continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

Rate this Recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Fiber: 3g


4.41 from 22 votes (20 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *






This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


46 responses to “Quinoa Pilaf with Mirepoix”

  1. Caroline Howard Avatar
    Caroline Howard

    I made a double batch of this today! I thought it wanted a good bit more salt and pepper, but other than that it was perfect! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh i’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Caroline!!

      1. Mark T Avatar
        Mark T

        This recipe is a great idea. I’ve been experimenting with a few mirepoix based recipes, like lamb ragu, and I always end up with a lot of celery left over. This is a great recipe for those leftovers. I used a bit more mirepoix than the recipe suggested, basically covering the fry pan in a 1:1:2 carrot, celery, onion ratio. Cooking time for the mirepoix was more like 10 minutes. The result was excellent. What I learned from this recipe is that you get far better absorption into quinoa using a fry pan instead of a sauce pan. Makes sense, wider boiling area and less height of mixture. Anyway, great recipe, thank you for sharing.

  2. Hunza A Avatar
    Hunza A

    Hi! Wondering how many grams/oz is one serving of this quinoa? The taste is delish! Thank you for the recipe :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      1/2 cup! Enjoy!

      1. Alexander Kelly Avatar
        Alexander Kelly

        Absolutely delicious. I used 3 carrots and 5 celery and my homemade broth from a chicken noodle soup recipe and it was really really good.

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          So glad you enjoyed this!!!

  3. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    I make large batches of things like chicken, vegetables, rice, etc. and then use them in different ways throughout the week for meals. This recipe is on my meal list for the week!

    1. Katie Avatar
      Katie

      I follow you on Twitter!

      1. Katie Avatar
        Katie

        And Pinterest!

        1. Katie Avatar
          Katie

          And Facebook :)

          1. Katie Avatar
            Katie

            You also arrive daily in my RSS feed!

  4. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Would love to when a copy of this book :) I always keep plenty of frozen veggies on hand to steam up and fresh fruit my daughter could eat them anytime :)