Want to jazz up plain quinoa? Think color and flavor! Make a sensational side dish in 20 minutes with a vegan, oil-free, easy tri-color quinoa recipe with nutty, fluffy quinoa, rosemary, almonds, and lemon mustard dressing.
I first discovered tricolor quinoa when making balsamic pear and quinoa salad, then added it to lemon roasted cauliflower and quinoa. I've been hooked ever since!
Tricolor quinoa is just what it sounds like - a combination of white, black, and red quinoa cooked together for the delight of unique textures, flavors, and different colors.
Table of Contents
⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick prep with minimal effort for a quinoa side, perfect for baked chickpea cutlets and other vegan favorites.
- Simple main ingredients for an easy, complete protein dish.
- Serve as a warm side dish or take along quinoa salad.
📋 Recipe Ingredients
Quinoa. Buy tri-color quinoa prepackaged in grocery stores or mix your own with ⅓ cup of each color to make 1 cup. There is no magic formula here, so use what you have. I mix up tri-color quinoa when I’m running low on a few colors to use them up.
Shallots. Mild onion flavor makes shallots a standout for many recipes. Green onions or a small red onion are the best substitutes.
Rosemary. Fresh rosemary, roughly chopped, adds a lovely, earthy flavor. Substitute with 1 teaspoon dried. Other fresh herbs like fresh oregano or finely chopped basil could be substituted but will slightly alter the flavor.
Almonds. I prefer almond flakes because they require no prep and add a nice crunch. Slivered almonds will work just as well. If you have whole almonds hanging around, chop them. You can also substitute with sunflower seeds, chopped hazelnuts, or walnuts.
Lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice will lift the flavor. You can also add lemon zest if you like. Sherry vinegar is a good substitute.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
- Don't miss out! You can still make this recipe with regular quinoa.
- Add a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or white beans to bulk out this recipe for a quick lunch.
- Substitute my easy vegan honey with mustard dressing for a sweeter quinoa sauce.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Make the dressing in a small bowl. Toss quinoa with the rest of the ingredients.
🔪 Pro Tips
One secret to perfectly fluffy, not mushy quinoa is the ratio of quinoa to water. I find white quinoa cooks best with a ratio of 1 cup of quinoa to 1 ¾ cups of water. For tricolored quinoa, it’s better to use a ratio of 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water or broth.
After the water is absorbed, take the quinoa off the heat. Leave the lid on for a few minutes. The quinoa steam gives it a fluffy texture.
Denise's pro tip: No matter what type of quinoa you use, always rinse it. Rinsing removes the bitter flavor caused by the naturally occurring saponins on the outside of quinoa grains.
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🍴 Serving Suggestions
Serve with savory main dishes like lentil and mushroom loaf or stuffed portobello mushrooms. This tri-color quinoa recipe is a great option for filling stuffed bell peppers or stuffing zucchini boats. Use the leftovers to top a baked sweet potato, and you're set!
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. You can also freeze it for 6 months.
To reheat, place quinoa in a steamer basket and let it steam until it is fluffy and hot. If you reheat it in a pan, add water or lemon juice to keep it from scorching. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
The differences in the textures and flavors of individual colors of the different types of quinoa make it a little crunchier and slightly stronger in flavor than more common white quinoa. Red and black quinoa hold their shape better and taste more earthy than white quinoa.
Quinoa, any color, is naturally gluten-free. You should also check the labels to ensure your quinoa hasn’t been processed with gluten-free foods. This is like selecting oats.
You won't save much time, but if you want to make tri-colored quinoa in the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Use a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 1 ½ cups water. You don't need as much water in the Instant Pot.
🍲 More Vegan Quinoa Recipes
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Easy Tri Color Quinoa Recipe (Vegan and Oil-Free)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup tri color quinoa
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup shallot - minced, 1 medium shallot
- ¼ cup flaked almonds - chopped slivered or whole almonds
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary - 1 teaspoon dry
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add the quinoa, 2 cups of cold water, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Fluff the quinoa.
- Mix the lemon juice and mustard in a small dish and prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Transfer the quinoa to a medium bowl, then mix in the lemon-mustard dressing and the rest of the ingredients.
- Serve warm or at room temperature for an easy vegan quinoa salad.
Notes
- Depending on the age of the quinoa and the exact water temperature, it can take anywhere from 12-15 minutes for the quinoa to cook. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- If you use dried rosemary, mix it with lemon juice and mustard so it can rehydrate and is well distributed.
- Make this dish with regular white quinoa with only 1 ¾ cups of water.
1 cup of dry quinoa yields about 4 cups cooked. - Store leftover quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week. You can also freeze it for 6 months.
- To reheat, place quinoa in a steamer basket and let it steam until it is fluffy and hot. If you reheat it in a pan, add water or lemon juice to keep it from scorching. You can also reheat it in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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