Did you know that combining legumes and cereals is a great way to take advantage of the nutrients and properties of both? They are perfectly complementary. And, in addition, the contributions of some help our organism to assimilate the nutrients of the others even better. All this is perfectly fulfilled by the dish we bring you today: a simple recipe of Sauteed Beans with Quinoa. A very healthy and complete dish with two ingredients that complement each other perfectly.
We have already seen all the benefits of combining cereals and legumes, which are also two basic ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet.
In addition, quinoa, which many consider a superfood, is a seed (although it is consumed as a cereal) with very healthy properties for our body. It is native to Peru and Bolivia, where it is known as Chisiya, which means Mother Grain.
Some of the properties of this food are its rich contribution in omega 6 and omega 4 acids. It also has vitamin B2 and folic acid.
And, if we also add all the properties of beans, our recipe will be ten out of ten. Let’s see how to make this delicious sautéed beans with quinoa. Later we will see some of the benefits of this dish.
Sauteed Beans with Quinoa Recipe
To prepare the quinoa, the first thing to do is to wash it very well under the tap, always with cold water. This step is very important, since, when washing the quinoa, we eliminate some small molecules that these seeds have on the outside, known as saponins. These small molecules give the quinoa a bitter taste, besides, they are toxic.
Once washed, we will cook the quinoa exactly as we do with rice. Using two parts of water for one part of quinoa. We cook for about 15 minutes (it is important not to overcook), with the pot covered. After that time, we can verify that the quinoa is ready to eat since it will have doubled its size and the seeds will have become transparent.
A trick to obtain a perfect quinoa is to drain it with a fine strainer once it has cooked. Since the quinoa retains much liquid, in addition, if we are going to use it in another elaboration, as it is the case, we will obtain that it has the perfect texture. Once we have strained it, we put it back in the pot where we had cooked it, while it is still hot, and let it stand for a few minutes with the lid on.
Finally, this recipe of beans with quinoa can be prepared with canned beans to make a much simpler recipe, or we can cook them ourselves.
If we opt for the former, we will have to wash them very well under the tap. To do this, we pour the beans in a large colander and rinse them under the tap for a few minutes. And we will have them ready to use.
Do you want to cook your own beans?
If on the contrary, we prefer to cook them, we will have to have left them to soak the night before. When we are going to cook them, it will be enough to add them in water, with a pinch of salt, and cook them for half an hour if we use an express pot, or cook them for at least 1 hour in a standard pot.
And, if you want to give them more flavor, prepare a sofrito before cooking the beans. With a simple stir-fry of carrot, onion, garlic, or the ingredients of your choice, your beans will gain a lot of flavor. You can also add a bay leaf or some garlic to the beans in the cooking water.
Now that we have seen everything we have to take into account, let’s go with this great recipe of Sautéed Beans with Quinoa.
Bean and Quinoa Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g Quinoa
- 400 g Baked beans
- 1 Zucchini
- 2 Peppers
- 1 Onion
- 2 Tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
Instructions
- We begin by washing the quinoa well under the tap. We will rinse it under cold running water for a few minutes. When it is clean, put it in a pot with water (twice as much water as quinoa) and bring to a boil. We cook for about 15 minutes, with the lid on, until we see that it is ready.
- After this time, strain the quinoa to remove the excess water and leave it for a couple of minutes again in the still hot pot. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, we chop the rest of the ingredients. Peel the zucchini and chop it into small cubes. Chop the onion finely. Wash the peppers, remove the seeds and chop them also into cubes. The tomatoes, wash them under the tap and chop them finely.
- In a frying pan, put a drizzle of oil. When it is hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt, cook until it starts to become transparent. Then add the zucchini, peppers and tomatoes, sauté over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes.
- When they are ready, add the beans, cook for a few more minutes, all together, mixing well. We also add the quinoa, cook again for a couple of minutes and serve.Now we have ready our delicious sautéed beans and quinoa.
Notes
Benefits of sautéed beans with quinoa
As we mentioned before, this dish is very healthy. And it has a multitude of contributions and benefits for our body. Since both ingredients are rich in nutrients, and it is a very balanced combination of proteins, fiber, carbohydrates… All this without taking into account the rest of the ingredients that are also very healthy, such as tomato, zucchini, peppers…
This dish provides us with very complete proteins, that is to say, that contain all the essential amino acids that the body needs for a correct functioning.
It is also perfect for all those who are looking to lose weight or who follow slimming diets, since it is a very light dish and, thanks to the fiber, it is a very satiating combination. Which does not help to reduce intake.
Another benefit of sautéed beans and quinoa is that it helps us to maintain a good cardiovascular health thanks to the nutrients that both ingredients provide, such as potassium, iron, magnesium…
Some variations of the recipe
This dish is as versatile as it is healthy. That is to say, we can elaborate it in a thousand different ways. Always depending on our tastes, or what we have at home. For example:
- The first thing we can do is to substitute beans for any other legume. For example, with chickpeas, it also looks great. However, it is not the only option, we can use beans, lentils, beans of all kinds….
- As the recipe also includes vegetables, we can substitute them or add any other we like. For example, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, eggplant…
- If you want to add a crunchy touch, include some nuts once the recipe is finished. Or, seeds or seeds. It will be a very colorful and rich dressing that, in addition, will also provide us with a lot of nutrients.
- And finally, give a different touch to your sautéed beans with quinoa by trying different seasonings or spices. There is nothing written here, so you can innovate as you like. Try a little soy sauce before removing the sautéed beans from the pan. A lemon vinaigrette and your favorite spices will also look great.
And with this we finish our fantastic sautéed beans and quinoa. If you liked it, remember to leave us your comments, ideas, advice… We love to read them! And don’t forget to follow us on social networks to keep up to date with all our publications. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
