Pineapple Fried Quinoa in a Pineapple Boat
A healthy take on Thai fried rice, this pineapple fried quinoa is bursting with flavor and super fun served in a pineapple boat. It’s also vegan and gluten-free.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Keyword: pineapple fried quinoa
Servings: 4
- 1 cup dry uncooked quinoa
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 whole pineapple for bowl
- 2 cups fresh pineapple chopped in bite-size chunks
- 1 cup cooked edamame beans
- 3 Tablespoons reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons sambal oelek or homemade garlic chili sauce
- juice from 1/2 lime
- green onion sliced thin, green part only
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews chopped
Make the quinoa: Prepare quinoa if you haven’t already: Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup uncooked quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool for 5 minutes; fluff quinoa with a fork. Allow to cool. This step can be done the day before.
Prep pineapple: While quinoa is cooking, prep pineapple by cutting it in half lengthwise. Scoop out pineapple flesh using a knife and a spoon so you’re left with two pineapple boats for serving. Chop the fruit and set aside.
Sauté veggies: Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until mixture is fragrant and onions are translucent.
Combine: Add fresh pineapple, edamame, tamari, sambal oelek, lime juice and cooked quinoa to the pan. Stir to combine.
Cook: Cook mixture on medium-high for 5-7 minutes or until everything is heated through. I like turning the up the heat quite a bit so that all the sauce is soaked up or evaporated and the quinoa starts to crisp up a little in certain spots.
Assemble and enjoy: Transfer cooked quinoa mixture into pineapple bowls, top with cashews and green onion and serve. Add extra sambal oelek or sriracha if you need more spice.
Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 576mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g