This Superfood Quinoa Pilau is a wholesome, nourishing dish packed with nutrient-dense ingredients. With a perfect balance of flavors from quinoa, sweet potato, kale, and goji berries, this pilau can be enjoyed on its own or as a delicious side dish. It’s versatile and customisable, making it ideal for any meal.
By now you all know I love to put a healthy spin on classic recipes and make them as nourishing as possible (without any compromise on taste). This delicious Superfood Quinoa Pilau recipe is my twist on the classic, which is traditionally made with rice.
The ‘superfood’ tag is generally used to describe foods that are particularly high in essential nutrients, phytonutrients and antioxidants. They are especially immune supportive and provide a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals to your body.
This recipe is super given that it’s a combination of particularly nutrient dense superfood ingredients. I hope you love it.
Superfood health benefits
Quinoa (pronounced ‘kin-wah’) is a complete plant based protein which has an extraordinary nutrient profile.
Kale is a fibre rich, nutritional powerhouse. It’s a great source of antioxidant vitamins A and C, as well as protective isothiocyanates and indoles (phytonutrients).
Goji Berries are an immune supportive, anti-oxidant rich, very nutrient dense food. They are my number one choice when it comes to dried fruit.
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb. In a word where inflammation underpins so many disease, turmeric is an important part of a healthy diet.
For more practical info on ‘superfoods’ and how to include them in your diet, click HERE.
Ingredients
This pilau uses quinoa, sweet potato, kale, and pumpkin seeds, with cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, and topped with goji berries.
How to make this superfood pilau
Start by rinsing or soaking quinoa to remove bitterness, then cook it with onion, sea salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. While the quinoa cooks, roast diced sweet potato with cinnamon and olive oil, then add kale and pumpkin seeds for the last few minutes to crisp them. After the quinoa has cooked, fluff it and mix in the turmeric and black pepper. Combine it with the roasted veggies, and top with goji berries just before serving.
Serving suggestions and how to store
This dish can be served on its own or with grilled, baked, or BBQ’d protein like fish, chicken, or tofu. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. For make-ahead prep, keep the roasted kale and pumpkin seeds separate until serving to preserve their crunch.
Vary this to suit your dietary needs
To make this recipe vegan or vegetarian, use vegetable stock or water to cook the quinoa. For a quicker version, use leftover cooked quinoa and skip some of the preparation steps. You can also add more vegetables or swap them out based on what you have on hand—this dish is easily customisable to suit your preferences.
Ingredients
- 170 g quinoa (1 cup)
- 1 red onion/s -finely diced
- 500 ml water (2 cups) or bone broth
- 1½ tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 4 cardamom pods -bruised
- 1 sweet potato/s -diced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 bunch/s kale -leaves torn off stems
- 30 g pumpkin seeds (¼ cup)
- 30 g goji berries
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (fan-forced).
- Rinse the quinoa really well in a fine sieve or ideally soak it for 1-12 hours to remove the bitter tasting saponins.
- Finely dice the red onion and put into a pot with the quinoa and 2 cups of water or broth. Add ½ teaspoon of sea salt, cinnamon quill and cardamon pods. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is all absorbed.
- Whilst that is simmering, line a large oven tray with baking paper.
- Dice the sweet potato into 2 cm pieces and place at one end of the tray leaving room for the kale and pumpkin seeds which you'll add later.
- Drizzle with half tablespoon of the olive oil, toss and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the sea salt and the cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Now wash the kale leaves well and tear the soft leaves from the woody stem. Place them into your serving/ salad bowl and add the remaining one and half tablespoons of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the sea salt. Massage the oil into the leaves.
- After the sweet potato has cooked for 12 minutes, add half of the kale leaves, in a single layer. I choose the thicker outer leaves to roast and reserve the younger, more tender leaves for the salad.
- Also add the pumpkin seeds to the tray. Cook along side the sweet potato for the remaining 8 minutes to crisp the kale leaves and toast the pumpkin seeds.
- By now your quinoa will be close to being cooked. Stir it and make sure it has absorbed the water or broth. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This step gives the quinoa time to pop open and the little white spiral to appear. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool a little. Add the turmeric and black pepper and mix well.
- You can serve this dish either warm or cold. If serving cold allow the quinoa to cool completely.
- Remove the cinnamon quill and add the quinoa to the salad or serving bowl.
- Mix in the roasted sweet potato, pumpkin seeds and top with the crisp kale (add the pumpkin seeds and crispy kale right before serving or they lose their crunch).
- Sprinkle over the goji berries and enjoy.
Serve
- As is or with a simple piece of grilled, baked or BBQ'd protein like fish, chicken, red meat or a vegetarian protein.
Make-ahead
- Just keep the kale chips and pumpkin seeds aside until serving.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
Vegetarian and vegan
Choose water or vegetable stock to cook the quinoa.Onion-free
Replace the onion with finely diced fennel.Cheats version
Use leftover cooked quinoa. Fry the red onion in a little olive oil to soften it. Then add the pre-cooked quinoa, half teaspoon ground cardamon, half teaspoon ground cinnamon (these replace the quill and pods) and one teaspoon sea salt. Toss together and continue from step 5 in the method.Add more/different vegetables
Yes, you can absolutely add in extra or different vegetables. It's a very versatile dish.grains lemon chicken broth mushroom
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Kathrina says
Hi Georgia,
Not sure why there are no comments on this ! I’m not a “comments of type of person” but I made this last weekend with your chicken fajitas…… WOW! We loveeeeeeed it.
Sounds like a cliche but love your stuff.
Cheers
Kathrina
Georgia Harding says
Hi Kathrina
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Some recipes are funny and have no comments, others, I’m bombarded. So glad you enjoyed it, I make it a lot, so much goodness. Georgia x
Jac says
Quick and flavoursome.
Georgia Harding says
So glad you enjoyed it Jac G x
Penny says
We absolutely love this dish. Since first making it a few weeks ago I think we have had it every week! And it is so so good for breakfast warmed up in my steamer pot (in the breakfast bowl) with a poached egg on top! The best brekky!! Thanks Georgia, another Well Nourished hit!
Georgia Harding says
So glad you love it Penny – LOVE the brekkie bowl with the leftovers too. Cheers for the 5 ?s G x