During these uncertain times, food is as much comfort as it is nourishment. It is a respite from the daily schedule (or lack thereof) and the barrage of bad news. If you are fortunate enough to be at home with your loved ones, cooking for them and coming together around the table is one of the best ways to inject some semblance of routine and normalcy into this very abnormal time.
This Quinoa with White Beans, Chicken Sausage + Kale is emblematic of the type of cooking I’ve been doing the past couple of months — quick, nourishing and ripe for adaption to my pantry/fridge. It’s also made in one pot, a huge plus when dishes seem to pile up at an alarming rate these days. In this recipe, chicken sausage, onion, rosemary, dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar combine to infuse otherwise mild quinoa with addictive tangy-savory-salty flavor. The kale and goat cheese round out the flavors in this perfectly balanced one-pot meal you can serve in a bowl. That is my ideal type of meal.
A few tips: Use tricolor quinoa to avoid the dreaded mushy quinoa. Vegetarian? Leave out the sausage and sub in another can of white beans or sweet potato (diced very small). Don’t have white beans? Sub in any canned or cooked bean. Don’t have kale? Sub in any hearty green, fresh or frozen.
p.s. Might I suggest these cookies for dessert? We all need cookies right now. Enjoy! xo Maggie
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinIngredients
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3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
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1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
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12 oz chicken sausage, sliced 1/2″ thick
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1 tbsp dijion mustard
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1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
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1 cup tricolor or red quinoa, rinsed and drained
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1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
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2 cups broth, chicken or veggie
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4 cups kale, roughly chopped
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2-4 oz crumbled goat cheese
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Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pan (that has a fitted lid) over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until starting to soften. Add rosemary and sausage. Cook for about 5-8 more minutes until browned, flipping halfway through. Add mustard and vinegar to deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits.
- Stir in quinoa, white beans and broth and another pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in kale, cover again, and cook for 3-5 more minutes until tender. Remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese, any fresh herbs you may have on hand and a hunk of crusty bread. We also love this with roasted sweet potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
I prefer tri-color or red quinoa in most quinoa recipes, as it better retains its shape and is less prone to mushiness.
Substitutions: If you are vegetarian, leave out the sausage and sub in another can of white beans or sweet potato (diced small (1/4”)). If you are vegan, leave out the goat cheese or substitute a vegan cashew cheese. Substitute any canned or cooked bean for the white beans. Substitute any hearty green for the kale.
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