Vegan Quinoa Recipes: Creamy Ginger Soy Pilaf

This is one of my favorite easy, vegan quinoa recipes ever. I could eat this for lunch or dinner every day of the week and be happy as a clam–and what’s not to love? It takes just 25 minutes from start to finish; you hardly have any prep work; and you end up with a beautiful bowl full of your favorite veggies and al dente quinoa, drizzled with creamy, completely-addicting ginger soy dressing. It’s also so good for you: you get complete plant-based protein from quinoa, mood-boosting and hormone-balancing zinc from tahini; and iron, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C from the peas, broccoli, and carrots. You also get a hefty dose of raw ginger, which is not only a powerful anti-inflammatory, but also helps with anxiety and calms you down–so great for these days when the sun is setting earlier each day. For more variety, feel free to add in your favorite vegetables–eat and be happy! 🙂

Easy Quinoa Pilaf with Creamy Ginger Soy Dressing

Serves 3-4

Pilaf

1 1/4 cup rainbow quinoa (or your favorite variety)

2 cups water or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large head of broccoli, trimmed and chopped (including stems)

1 small carrot, chopped

3/4 cup frozen peas

4-5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Dressing

1/4 cup tahini (I recommend raw sprouted, but any kind will work)

1/2 cup water, plus 1-2 tbsp as needed

2 1/2 tsp soy sauce or tamari

1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. In a medium pot, bring the 2 cups of water or broth to boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat to simmer. Drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper. Let it cook on low for about five minutes.

2. Add in the vegetables directly on top. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Check to see that water has completely disappeared (I usually just look through the lid, shifting the pot around a little to see if there’s water). Then turn off the heat and let steam on its own for another 10 minutes.

3. In the meantime, add tahini to a medium bowl. Add about 3 tbsp water, and whisk with a fork until it turns white and creamy. Continue to add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add soy sauce or tamari, fresh ginger, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour about 3/4 of the dressing into the pot, and combine gently. Spoon servings into individual bowls, and drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Bon appetit!