Carrot Raisin Quinoa Recipe - Vegan and Gluten Free

This carrot raisin quinoa recipe comes together quickly with only 5 ingredients if you don't count salt and oil. But don't be fooled by its simplicity it packs a comforting flavor and it's a favorite among adults and kids.  Give it a try and please let us know what you think.

In business, we are taught to try to recreate previous successes. We decided to apply the concept to our quinoa recipe.  As we are stuck at home and the coronavirus (COVID-19) is devastating the world we are not feeling particularly creative, so we decided to look back and some of our most successful recipes and try to create a new twist.   Our inspiration for this quinoa recipe comes from our Rosh Hashanah Carrot and Raisin Basmati Rice that our mom made frequently.

Fun Fact: Based on some of the comments we received on the basmati rice recipe it is similar to an Afghani rice dish named Kabuli (minus the spices), which is interesting because our mom created that recipe pre-internet times and in Spain where she didn't have any knowledge of Afghani cuisine.

We decided to create the same recipe using quinoa instead of rice and see if it worked, we had to play with the water and quinoa ratios, but we did it!  Everyone loved the results! This shows you that it is easy to make quinoa taste good, just add some veggies, spices, herbs or even cheese if you are feeling indulgent and you can have a tasty quinoa dish.  One of the key elements is to cook the quinoa right.

How to Cook Quinoa

We believe many people that don't like quinoa it's because they follow the packaging directions on how to cook it.  We find that in those cooking instructions the ratio of water to quinoa is too high and it comes out too mushy, and who wants to eat mushy food that is not oatmeal?  This is how we like to cook quinoa:

With our method, one cup of quinoa yields 2 ½ cups.

1. Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, until the water runs clear
2. Drain the quinoa
3. In a medium saute pan with a lid heat 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil or any other oil of your choice
4. Add rinsed quinoa and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often
5. Add 1 ⅓ cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt
6. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes
7. Uncover the pan, the quinoa should be tender, but not mushy.  If the quinoa is still a little crunchy add ¼ cup of water and continue simmering with the pan covered until all the water has been absorbed.
8. Sometimes, depending on the type of quinoa it may require 1 ½ cups of water instead of 1 ⅓ cups. The reason you may have to add more water is becuase sometimes red or black quino take longer to cook, depending on the brand.

How to make this carrot raisin quinoa recipe

Shred carrots and sliced onions

Saute onions

Add onions and continue cooking

Add quinoa and raisins

Add water and bring to a boil and simmer.  Serve warm or at room temperature

Other Quinoa Recipe You May Also Like

• Cannellini Bean, Quinoa, and Kale Soup
• Veggie Loaded Quinoa Fried Rice
• Super Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe
• Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Caramelized Bananas
• Vegan Gluten-Free Quinoa Paella
• Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Quinoa Pomegranate Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing
• Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Greek Salad
• Cauliflower Quinoa Meatless Meatballs In Coconut Turmeric Sauce
• Quinoa Mushroom Sliders

If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.