Easy Meyer lemon quinoa with coconut oil, shallot and thyme, with a touch of honey. An quick recipe to get on the stove (only 12 minutes of active time) and it goes so well with so many weeknight meals. Gluten-free and dairy-free.
What Inspired This Lemon Quinoa Recipe
When I was putting together this menu plan last week, I realized that I need to share more simple winter sides with you. And I also realized that I need way more quinoa in my life here on the blog. We do eat it a lot, but usually I just prepare it so simply that I don’t feel like it is worth mentioning here.
I’m trying to make up for that omission with this lemon quinoa recipe. I hope you’ll agree that simple quinoa is a-okay. Not just because it is so good for you and it makes bellies happy, but also because it is so dang simple! I love quinoa for easy weeknight meals because it is ready a lot faster than brown rice.
I decided to add Meyer lemon to this quinoa recipe today because I was at Healthy Living and they caught my eye, and of course I couldn’t resist. I spent about an hour shopping because I was starving and disorganized and kept seeing people I knew. By the end I spent way too long and way too much money in the process. This always happens to me when I go to the store hungry.
Don’t shop hungry whenever possible. You’ll end up skipping impulse snacks and junk food, make better choices, and save money.
I need to follow this advice, clearly! I ended up buying all sorts of crackers and things that we really didn’t need. Thankfully, the Meyer lemon ended up being the thing that inspired this lemon quinoa recipe though. There are certain flavors that go really well with lemons, thyme and honey being two of them, coconut being another. Meyer lemons in particular go well with these ingredients because they are so floral, so I buddied them all up to give this Meyer lemon recipe a big boost of flavor.
Cooks Tips on How to Make Quinoa
If quinoa is on your list of ingredients to try, it really is no big thing. You’ll see it’s just as easy as cooking white rice. Quinoa is a seed and it has a natural coating on it called saponin, which protects it from pests, but it tastes yucky to us too (kind of soapy) so you just need to rinse it off before its cooked. To do that, just put the uncooked quinoa into a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cool running water until the bubbles rinse away. Sometimes you can buy pre-rinsed quinoa, and that is really convenient.
Because stoves and cooking equipment vary, you’ll need to check in on the Meyer lemon quinoa at the end of cooking time so that you get nice fluffy results. If there is too much water remaining, you’ll have wet quinoa. To check to see if the water is absorbed without stirring, insert a spoon into the quinoa and pull it aside to see down to the pot. If there is still liquid below the surface, it needs to be cooked a little longer.
Finally, if you can’t find Meyer lemon, try this easy quinoa recipe with regular lemon.
How to Store Quinoa Leftovers
This Meyer lemon quinoa recipe makes 4 cups, so there’s a good chance you’ll have leftovers. Lucky for us, quinoa stores remarkably well and can easily be reused in future recipes. To store leftover quinoa, let it first cool to room temperature before transferring it to a sealed container (a mason jar or Tupperware container works). Cooked quinoa will keep for a few days and can be sprinkled on top of salads, eaten alongside fish and other meats, or enjoyed on its own straight from the fridge.
More Easy Quinoa Recipes:
Cheesy Mexican Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Vegetarian Pilaf with Pumpkin and Quinoa
One-Pot Vegan Quinoa and Arugula Salad
Turkey Picadillo Chili with Quinoa
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PinDescription
It only takes about 12 minutes to get this lemon quinoa on to simmer, and it tastes incredible! The flavor of the Meyer lemon goes so well with thyme and coconut and the tiny bit of honey balances the tartness of the lemon. Gluten-free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 ¼ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallot and thyme, and cook until the shallot is softened and just starting to brown.
- Add water, quinoa and salt, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, medium low to low. Cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is starting to burst, 19 to 23 minutes.
- Stir lemon zest, lemon juice and honey in a small dish. Stir honey lemon mixture and almonds into the quinoa and serve.
Notes
0 mg Cholesterol, 2 g Added Sugar
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup each
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 3.6 g
- Sodium: 470 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 4 g
Keywords: lemon quinoa,meyer lemon recipes, how to make quinoa
Katie..this looks amazing. I have loads of meyer lemons on our tree in the backyard, and now I know just what to do with them 🙂
Oh that sounds incredible Kristina! I am sure the fragrance is amazing when they are in season.
I love me some Meyer Lemon dishes this year (and in all honesty, I’ll be making this with whole wheat couscous instead 🙂 Pinning now.
That would be even easier Deanna. I hope you like it. Thank you for pinning.
This looks so lovely! I’ve never thought of a lemon-y quinoa! Now I need to go buy some meyer lemons…
I know right?! I can’t stop thinking of all the dishes I want to pair with it now! I think it would be incredible with fish or some sort of saucy chicken dish.
sooo I was just in Killington over the weekend and the pow was CRAZY, hope you got some major skiing in on MLK!!!
and uch, I am so about hearty grains right now so this recipe is totally what I’m vibing, looks delish!
You were here? Oh man! I didn’t get out there on the mountain this past weekend. I had a big event at my gym that took up most of my free time. I am so glad you had good conditions. Next time we’ll have to meet up even if it is just for apres ski!
Nice simple way to add a little zing to some quinoa!
I certainly agree Sarah. 12 minutes is doable any night of the week. 🙂 Thank you for coming by.
Perfect side dish! I bet that little bit of honey complements the lemon so well!
I’m glad you mention that Rebecca, because I totally agree. I think it is key to making the whole thing come into balance.
I adore quinoa and meyer lemons and have eaten them by the bucket-load – separately, never thought to put them together – thanks Katie for the foodie inspiration! Love the honey and almonds added in for extra flavor and texture!
Ah yes, the almonds I forgot to mention them too. They add a nice crunch for sure. Glad to inspire you with two favorite ingredients!
I have very few quinoa recipes on the blog as well, and I eat it all the time! This looks so refreshing and light. Can’t wait to try this!
I look forward to seeing what you share as well Alanna. 🙂
Perfect side dish. I like to prepare this for my family and myself. I will give you feedback after making this dish again.