Asparagus quinoa pilaf with herbs, veggies and bright lemon is a crowd-pleasing side dish. Nutty quinoa pairs so well with tender asparagus, button mushrooms, and savory herbs!
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I love an easy quinoa dish, and this asparagus quinoa pilaf is such a delicious way to add more quinoa to your week!
Asparagus quinoa is super simple to make. Just sauté the veggies while the quinoa cooks, toss it all together, and eat! This makes a great side dish! Serve with hearty, plant-based protein, like my lentil meatloaf or crispy baked tofu. It's also great paired with soup or roasted vegetables. Lentil sweet potato soup, warm Brussels sprout salad, or roasted cabbage all go really well with this pilaf!
Some pilaf recipes have you toast the grains in oil before cooking them. For the sake of simplicity, my pilaf recipe skips the toasting, but you are welcome to add that step.
If you'd like to toast your quinoa, it's easy! Just add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the dry grains, stirring, until they smell nice and toasty. Then add the broth and cook as directed. You can even do this in the Instant Pot using the saute function.
In this recipe, I'm using quinoa in place of the more common rice. I love how quinoa's nutty flavor pairs with the earthy mushrooms and tender asparagus!
You can prepare your quinoa for this pilaf on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or in the rice cooker. The recipe below includes stovetop and Instant Pot directions. Learn more about how to cook quinoa three different ways.
Looking for more easy Instant Pot side dishes? Check out my super easy and flavor-packed Instant Pot turmeric rice!
✓ Ingredients and substitutions
- quinoa - You can use regular or rainbow quinoa to make this pilaf.
- vegetable broth - Cooking the grains in broth is a key part of what makes a pilaf a pilaf.
- olive oil - To sauté. You can water or broth fry the veggies, if you prefer an oil-free option.
- onion, garlic, and mushrooms - These sautéed veggies add tons of umami to this asparagus quinoa dish!
- asparagus - You're adding the asparagus to the veggies later, since they cook more quickly. Be sure to snap or trim away the woody ends before chopping into 1" to 1.5" pieces.
- herbs - Dried thyme and sage give this such great flavor!
- lemon juice - For finishing. A little lemon brightens the flavor of the quinoa.
🔪 How to make asparagus quinoa pilaf
Combine the quinoa and 1 ½ cups of broth in your Instant Pot. See the recipe card below for stovetop direction.
Cook the quinoa for 5 minutes on high pressure, then release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
While the quinoa cooks, heat your oil on medium high in a medium skillet. Add the garlic, onion, and mushroom and a good pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring, until the onions turn translucent and the mushrooms soften, 5 to 7 minutes. You can add splashes of water to the pan, if things start to stick
Add the asparagus, thyme, and sage, and cook until the asparagus turns bright green, 3-5 minutes.
Toss the quinoa and veggies together in a large serving bowl, season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
💡 Helpful tips
- Whether or not you need to add the water while you sauté the onions is going to depend on your pan and how hot your stove runs.
- The mushrooms go into the pan a little bit earlier than you might expect. Starting them a bit sooner lets them go from soft to a little bit browned and crispy. It's such a nice texture paired with the fluffy quinoa!
- Asparagus can vary quite a bit in size, and the cooking time will vary accordingly. If you have skinny stalks, just 3 minutes of cooking will do it. For fatter stalks, you'll need to do the full 5 minutes, maybe even a minute or two more.
🫙 Storage directions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for four to five days.
You can also freeze your leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to six months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in the microwave or with a splash of broth on the stovetop.
💬 Frequently asked questions
I'm sure you've heard of rice pilaf, but you can also make pilaf using other grains, like bulgur. This recipe uses quinoa, which is actually a seed but cooks up like a grain.
Pilaf is a pretty broad term for flavorful rice or other grains cooked in broth with spices.
You can do either! It's lovely warm as a side dish or as a cold, quinoa salad.
You don't have to have to, but you should. Sometimes, quinoa can be bitter, and rinsing helps prevent that.
Rinsing before cooking definitely helps, as does toasting in a little bit of oil, if you have time. Cooking quinoa with broth and adding lots of flavorful herbs also makes it taste delicious!
🍴 More whole grain pilafs
📖 Recipe
Asparagus Quinoa Pilaf
Equipment
- Instant Pot - optional
Ingredients
For the Quinoa
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed
- 1 ½-2 cups vegetable broth
For the Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
- 2 cups chopped asparagus 1"-1 ½" pieces, woody bottom of the stems removed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
For the Finished Quinoa Pilaf
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- To cook in the Instant Pot: Combine the quinoa and 1 ½ cups of broth in your Instant Pot. Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure, then release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
- To cook on the stovetop: Combine the quinoa and 2 cups of broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Your quinoa is ready when all of the water is absorbed.
- While the quinoa cooks, heat your oil on medium high in a medium skillet. Add the garlic, onion, mushroom, and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the onions turn translucent and the mushrooms soften, 5 to 7 minutes. You can add splashes of water to the pan, if things start to stick. This will depend on your pan and stove
- Add the asparagus, thyme, and sage, and cook until the asparagus turns bright green, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the stalks.
- Toss the quinoa and veggies together in a large serving bowl, season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
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