Equipment
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- 3 beets with greens, scrubbed, roots and greens separated
- 50 g shallot, finely diced
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Pantry Staples
- 170 g white quinoa, uncooked
- 360 ml vegetable broth, low sodium
- 30 ml olive oil
- 4 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Dairy
- 100 g goat cheese, crumbled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 379 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 897 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 12 mg
- Potassium
- 839 mg
- Calcium
- 99 mg
- Iron
- 4.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 129 mg
- Phosphorus
- 336 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 88 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.25 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 251 mcg
- Water
- 271 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
Peel the beet roots and dice them into 1.5 centimeter cubes. Thoroughly wash the beet greens and stems. Chop the stems finely and roughly chop the leafy greens. Keep stems and leaves separated.
Place the diced beets on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 15ml of olive oil, and season with half of the salt and black pepper. Toss well to coat, spread in an even layer, and roast for 35 minutes until fork-tender and slightly caramelized.
While the beets are roasting, place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. Shake off excess water.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. This allows the remaining steam to finish cooking the grains and makes them fluffy.
Heat the remaining 15ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and finely chopped beet stems. Saute for 4 minutes until softened.
Add the minced garlic and chopped beet greens to the skillet along with the remaining salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the greens are just wilted but still bright.
Uncover the quinoa and fluff it gently with a fork. Fold the cooked quinoa into the skillet with the greens. Add the roasted beets, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Gently toss everything together until evenly combined.
Portion the warm pilaf into bowls. Top evenly with the crumbled goat cheese right before serving, allowing the ambient heat to slightly soften the cheese.
Chef's Notes
- Treating the beet as two ingredients, the sweet earthy root and the bitter Swiss chard-like green, creates wonderful flavor complexity with zero waste.
- Tossing the roasted beets in at the very end prevents them from dyeing the entire dish completely pink, leaving distinct beautiful specks of jewel-toned red against the white quinoa.
- For an extra layer of texture, consider garnishing the final dish with lightly toasted walnuts or pistachios.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Keep goat cheese separate if possible.
Freezer: 1 month — Goat cheese texture will change upon freezing. Freeze the pilaf base without the cheese.
Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop with a splash of water, or microwave on medium power. Add fresh goat cheese after reheating.
Troubleshooting
Quinoa is mushy and clumped together
Cause: Too much cooking liquid or insufficient resting time
Fix: Spread the cooked quinoa in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake at 150°C/300°F for 10 minutes to gently dry it out.
Prevention: Measure the vegetable broth precisely and ensure a full 5 minutes of covered resting time off the heat.
The entire dish turned bright pink or red
Cause: Roasted beets bled their color into the quinoa
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the flavor remains completely unaffected. Frame it as a visual feature.
Prevention: Ensure beets are roasted until a dry crust forms, and fold them in very gently at the last possible second rather than vigorously stirring.
Cultural Context
Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andean region of South America for thousands of years, revered as the mother grain. Pairing this ancient seed with the earthy sweetness of root vegetables and Mediterranean-leaning goat cheese creates a nutrient-dense fusion meal that celebrates global agricultural staples.
