
A Very Green Spring Quinoa with Chive Oil
Celebrating all things G R E E N in this vibrant and super tasty version of a classic risotto. Fluffy quinoa in a ‘good-for-you’ green & very moorish sauce with lots of spring veggies, topped with a zippy chive oil.
I wanted to create a different vibe and take on the classic rice dish, ready for Spring.
Why I used quinoa
- unlike rice, quinoa does not keep on absorbing the sauce, leaving it less ‘dense’ than risotto rice when it ‘sits’ for a while
- because it can ‘sit’ its great the next day even cold, unlike risotto rice
- cooking quinoa is more forgiving than risotto rice in terms of getting the texture, just right – we are def not looking for ‘al dente’ when cooking quinoa.
Be flexible with your greens
Basically I just wanted to celebrate all things G R E E N and wanted to make the quinoa risotto as healthy as possible without compromising on flavour. Â The recipe is just a ‘blue print’ of a method on how you can get maximum flavour into your risotto, so please use any veggies you like for the base, like onions, celery and roots etc, Â and the top, softer quick cooking veggies, edamame, courgettes, mushrooms etc.

A Very Green Spring Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch leeks white and light green parts, finely sliced, really well washed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- pinch smoked chilli flakes
- 4 large garlic cloves finely sliced
- 2 large fennel bulbs finely sliced
- 200 g English spinach not chopped
- 1 cup thick Greek-style yogurt of choice
- 1 cup quinoa
- 800ml veggie stock , heated
- 2 cups Spring veggies , sliced asparagus, fresh shelled peas, slice mange tout, double podded broad beans
Chive Oil
- 15 g chives
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Topping Ideas
- 4 spring onions finely chopped
- 2 handful wild rocket
- feta or parmesan to serve
- toasted sunflower seeds
- micro herbs
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large casserole (with a lid), add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes and cook until fragrant, 3 minutes.
- Add the leeks, fennel, garlic, 1 tsp salt and zest of 1 lemon, cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the veggies are soft without taking on any colour, about 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach, without stirring, ontop of the veggies, add the lid, and let the spinach wilt (again without stirring) for 4 minutes or until completely wilted (deflated) and bright green. Remove the spinach from the casserole.
- To make the green sauce, to a NutriBullet, add all the spinach, 1 cup cooked fennel & leek mixture, 1 cup yogurt, 1 tsp salt and 6 tablespoons of the veggie broth - blitz until smooth, adding more seasoning or broth to make a thick, but still pourable sauce. Adjust the seasoning. Keep the sauce warm.
- To the remaining fennel and leek mix in the casserole add the quinoa, stir through to mix with the veggies, adding a dash more oil, add the heated (it needs to be hot) veggie broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, without stirring, add the lid and set the timer for 14 minutes. It's important to make sure the quinoa is simmering and not frantically boiling. Simmer gently without lifting the lid before the 14 minutes.
- While the quinoa is cooking, make the chive oil by adding the chives, lemon juice and olive oil to a NutriBullet and whizz until well blended, taste and season with more lemon juice if needed and a few pinches fine salt. I like the chive oil to add a zesty zippiness to the quinoa.
- After 14 minutes, the quinoa should have little white tails visible and most of the liquid should be absorbed. Don't stir the quinoa. Add the 2 cups spring veggies ontop of the quinoa, add the lid back on, switch off the heat and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes .
- When you are ready to serve you have two options, you can either, pour the green sauce over the risotto and stir and mix well or you can serve the sauce on the side for people to dollop ontop of their risottos.
- Either way, garnish the risotto with the rocket, a few drizzles chive oil, feta, a generous squeeze lemon, salt and pepper. ( sunflower seeds and micro herbs if using)