The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Chicken and Spinach Quinoa

4.50 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s)8 votes, average: 4.50 out of 58 votes, average: 4.50 out of 58 votes, average: 4.50 out of 58 votes, average: 4.50 out of 58 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

This is a super flavorful recipe that is also perfect for leftovers. Quinoa is a great balance of protein and essential amino acids without the starchiness or fat of pasta.

Ingredients

  • ½ whole Onion, Diced
  • 1 cup Quinoa
  • 2 cups Organic Low-sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh (or Dried) Thyme
  • 2 whole Medium-sized Carrots, Chopped
  • 1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach
  • 1 can (5 Oz. Can) Shredded Chicken Breast

Preparation

Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray (or drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if you don’t need to keep the recipe low-fat). Heat pan over medium heat and cook onion and quinoa for about five minutes. You want the onions to become translucent and tender and the quinoa to slightly toast.

Add the chicken broth and spices, bring mixture to a boil.

Cover skillet and turn heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the carrots and let everything simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes).

After turning the heat off, stir in the spinach until it wilts and add the shredded chicken. I usually use canned chicken if I’m pressed for time, but you can also bake a couple of chicken breasts and shred them in a food processor.

Enjoy this by itself or spoon some into a whole wheat tortilla for a delicious wrap, hot or cold! This recipe is great for leftovers.

5 Comments

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kath297 on 6.27.2010

It depends upon the brand of quinoa you use. Some of it is prewashed and some is not. Bob’s Red Mill, for example is already washed. Look on the box or, if you buy in bulk and don’t know who the provider is, washing would probably be a good idea. Just use a fine sieve instead of a colander for rinsing.

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Jenna Bourland on 6.15.2010

Haha.. I’ve never rinsed mine so I assume it will start tasting even better once I start. Thanks, dodijackson! How do you rinse it? It’s so small that it would go straight through a colander…

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katejudy311 on 6.13.2010

ok thanks!

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dodijackson on 6.12.2010

yes! You have to rinse your quinoa! I made the mistake of not rinsing once…it’s SOOO bitter. yuck

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katejudy311 on 6.12.2010

Do you rinse your quinoa first? I always do, but I wonder if it is really necessary. I can’t wait to try this, my family loves quinoa.

8 Reviews

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sarablaire on 1.20.2012

My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe, but on the second try we made some changes. We added minced garlic and sauteed it with the onions and quinoa. Then we reduced the amount of black pepper and thyme to maybe half a teaspoon each. Lastly, we added about 1/4 tsp of turmeric. Turned out really yummy. Overall, we liked the original, but we wanted a little more flavor in the dish.

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julesyb1982 on 3.1.2011

Very quick and easy to make. Filling dish!

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horselady on 3.1.2011

I was excited to try this recipe, I have never had or used quinoa before- I had to go to the health food store to find it but eventually did! Thankfully I had all the other ingredients on hand. This was very easy to make and came out really well. I would like a little more flavor in the chicken though, so I think if I make it again I will boil the chicken in broth instead of just water as just adding the shredded chicken at the end didn’t end up flavoring it much. Also I ended up adding some salt to the finished product as it needed a little something.

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lorelei on 9.3.2010

Quick, easy and very wholesome tasting. My kids even ate it. I will be making it again. Thanks!

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rozanie on 7.24.2010

Quick and easy to make.
We cut way back on the pepper, to make it suit our tastes better. We also reduced the thyme to 3/4 tsp. and will use even less next time. We prefer other spices so would go with those, like basil or oregano.

For my daughters, it was just a little bit dry. I think I would add something to improve that. I know it will change the fat content slightly, but if I can get them to eat something healthy, then it’s worth it, right?

I’m thinking plain yogurt or sour cream would be a nice addition. Or even some cream of chicken soup.

It’s great to have a healthy dish to put on the table, and even better when they love it.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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