Quinoa is lower in carbs and higher in protein than the more traditional risotto rice. In fact, it’s one of only a handful of complete plant proteins, meaning it contains all the amino acids!
Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 2 tsp of dried or fresh thyme
- 300g of quinoa (soaked overnight in filtered water with a pinch of salt)
- 900ml of bone broth or filtered waterÂ
- 500g beetroot
- 100g feta cheese (around half a packet)
- 1 lemon
Method
Drain and carefully rinse the soaked quinoa.
Preheat oven to 200ËšC/gas mark 5. Cut the beetroot in to quarters and roast in the oven for around 40 mins until tender.
In the meantime, start to cook the risotto. Finely dice the onions, carrot and celery. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.Â
Heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan and fry until softened for 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and thyme. Fry for 30 seconds. Next, add the rinsed quinoa. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Add 900ml of bone broth or filtered water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a medium simmer. Leave to cook for 12 -15 mins until the quinoa is tender. Add more water if you need to.
When the beetroot is tender, remove from the oven, leave to cool and then remove the skin with a knife and fork. Blend the beetroot to a purée with approx 8 tbsp or so of water (so it blends easily).
When the quinoa is cooked, stir through the beetroot purée. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer for around 4 mins to warm it through.Â
Crumble the feta cheese on top and gently stir through the quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.
Serving suggestions
This is already a balanced meal, but you could add a serving of Buttered Greens or a simple side salad for added fibre.
