Vegetarian and gluten-free to boot, this Veggie Quinoa with Zucchini and Corn makes a delicious side dish to serve with lunch or dinner. It’s great for meal prep and a fantastic way to load up on veggies!
It’s about time we got our keeeeeh-wahhhhhh on with another tasty side dish recipe!
Normally I serve quinoa as a chilled salad with tons of raw veggies and a zippy homemade dressing. It’s always delicious but a salad just won’t cut it when you’re craving warm veggie and grain side dish to serve with dinner.
Veggie quinoa to the rescue!
Meal Prepping? Make it in Advance!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it keeps fabulously for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Just warm it up via skillet or microwave, top with crumbled feta and any extras your heart desires, and get ready to faceplant!
If you’re a fan of stocking the freezer, quinoa is up for the challenge! You can freeze quinoa solo for up to one month and reheat as needed *OR* freeze this entire recipe (minus the crumbled cheese) and then adding fresh herbs and mix-ins after reheating via skillet or microwave.
The ingredients are simple, fresh, and oh so easy to customize with a bevvy of optional extras!
Veggie Quinoa Ingredients
- quinoa (duh)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, galic powder, and cumin
- onion
- garlic
- zucchini squash
- red bell pepper
- sweet corn
- fresh cilantro
- scallions
- crumbled feta or queso fresco
To make this tasty gluten-free side dish, simply cook up your quinoa and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Next sauté vegetables until tender and combine with fresh cilantro, scallions, and crumbled feta.
This recipe is gloriously vegetarian and for a vegan option you can skip the crumbled cheese and amp up the seasoning to taste. Vegan feta is also a popular swap and, as always, xtra veggies are a great option too. Have fun with it!
Craving a carnivore option? This recipe is amazing with chicken so feel free to add some fresh grilled chicken or even leftover shredded or rotisserie chicken to this scrumptious side.
More Vibrant Vegetable Options
- tomatoes
- chopped kale or spinach
- broccoli or cauliflower
- summer squash
- mushrooms
- snow peas
- green beans
- carrots
While this dish is meant to be served as a warm veggie and grain side, you could easily turn it into a salad by adding a can of drained garbanzo beans and your favorite vinaigrette!
If you decide to go the salad route, my homemade Italian Dressing, Greek Dressing, or Lemon Dressing are all delicious options!
Veggie Quinoa with Zucchini and Corn
This rockin’ recipe yields approx. 8 cups of veggie quinoa goodness.
It’ll keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and reheats like a dream. You could also dive in cold with a little of your favorite salad dressing. Have fun with it and get your veggie on!
Veggie Quinoa with Zucchini and Corn
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp salt plus any extra to taste
- ¼-½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 ears sweet corn or 1 cup frozen kernels
- 1 medium zucchini squash (approx. 2 cups chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2-3 TBSP chopped scallions
- ½ cup crumbled feta
OPTIONAL EXTRA VEGGIES
- tomatoes
- chopped kale or spinach
- broccoli or cauliflower
- snow peas
- green beans
- mushrooms
- carrots
Instructions
- First rinse and drain quinoa using a mesh strainer/sieve.
- Bring a medium/small saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa!
- Next add water, set burner to high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-14 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- While the quinoa cooks, measure out remaining ingredients and sauté the vegetables.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. Once translucent, add corn, zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked through and tender.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Next add the cooked quinoa.
- Season further with fresh cilantro and scallions and mix well. Taste the mixture and add any additional salt, pepper, and spices to taste.
- Upon serving, add crumbled feta cheese on top and dive in while it's hot!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was inspired by the Zucchini and Corn Quinoa from New York Times. I amped up the flavors by adding additional vegetables and spices to the mix. So good!
Crazy for Quinoa? Here are More Recipes to Try!
- NEW! Modern Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa
- Greek Quinoa Bowls
- Vegetarian Quinoa Fried Rice with broccoli, peas, and carrots
- Black Bean Quinoa Chili
If you get a chance to try this healthy zucchini studded veggie quinoa recipe, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
This veggie quinoa makes for a great side dish! My family enjoyed it with our dinner and I took the leftovers for my work lunch the next day. It was so delicious both times!
This was the perfect side dish and really went well with our dinner last night. Easy to make and very tasty!