Root Vegetable–Baked Quinoa with Kale & Goat Cheese
This nutrient-packed Root Vegetable–Baked Quinoa with Kale & Goat Cheese Recipe will keep your energy levels soaring as a part of your Clean Eating meal plan.
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Ingredients
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 4 to 5 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups tri-color quinoa
- 8 oz curly kale, ribs discarded, leaves chopped (5 packed cups)
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- 5 oz grated mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp chopped basil
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. To a large bowl, add carrots, parsnips, oil, thyme, ¼ tsp pepper and salt. Stir to coat vegetables evenly and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss with a spatula and continue baking until golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth and 1½ cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover and return to boil. Add kale to pan on top of quinoa (don’t stir it up). Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until quinoa and kale are tender and most of liquid has absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. (Keep pan covered for the first 10 minutes of cooking, then stir once or twice to ensure quinoa cooks evenly.)
- To a large bowl (use the same bowl from step one), add quinoa mixture, vegetables, lemon zest, mozzarella and remaining ¼ tsp black pepper; stir gently. Mist a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add quinoa mixture. Crumble goat cheese evenly over top. Bake at 350°F until goat cheese is heated through, 12 to 14 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 1/4 cups
- Calories 273
- Carbohydrate Content 32 g
- Cholesterol Content 21 mg
- Fat Content 11 g
- Fiber Content 6 g
- Protein Content 13 g
- Saturated Fat Content 5 g
- Sodium Content 305 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g