Balsamic Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Quinoa
This Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Quinoa recipe is an easy and healthy side dish! Plus, ideas for make ahead lunch bowls.
I find it so interesting to hear which dishes are traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner in different families. What were your favorites as a kid? Do you still enjoy those same recipes today? I’m betting that many of you do, not just for the food but for the memories that surround those recipes.
Growing up, my family always made our same favorite side dishes year after year. Broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole were always a part of our meal. I’ve since lightened up those traditional recipes, and now this Broccoli Casserole from scratch and this Sweet Potato Casserole are our new favorites.
We also had mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, because those go without saying on Thanksgiving, right? And finally there was the turkey, the rolls and the cranberry sauce. Our dessert of choice was pumpkin pie. Always. This year I’m hoping my family will agree to serving this Chocolate Pumpkin Pie as well as our classic pumpkin pie. 😉
With each new Thanksgiving season, I have to keep challenging myself to come up with new recipe ideas to share here on the blog. Last year it was this green bean casserole recipe. Earlier this week I tried my hand at roasted Brussels sprouts and ended up with these drool-worthy Balsamic Brussels Sprouts. And today we’re branching out with this Balsamic Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Quinoa recipe.
I’m sharing this Balsamic Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Quinoa recipe as a potential Thanksgiving side dish, but let’s not limit these mushrooms to Thanksgiving, okay? This recipe is incredibly versatile. It would be a delicious side dish for roast chicken or salmon. It could be a healthy lunch bowl. Or, you could skip the quinoa and add the garlicky mushrooms to your favorite pasta recipe. Or a quesadilla.
However you serve them, these mushrooms are packed with flavor from the garlic, balsamic vinegar and shallots. If you love mushrooms, then I know you’re going to enjoy this easy recipe!
Make these garlic roasted mushrooms and quinoa into a healthy make ahead lunch bowl!
- Asparagus, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Quinoa Bowls: Chop asparagus spears into 1-inch long pieces and add them to the pan with the mushrooms before roasting. Top lunch bowls with goat cheese and sliced almonds.
- Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Mushroom Quinoa Bowls: Peel and chop 1 large sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Roast sweet potato for 5 minutes and then add mushrooms to the pan and continue with the recipe. Omit the balsamic and add black beans and salsa to lunch bowls.
- Garlicky Chicken, Mushroom & Peppers Lunch Bowls: Add 2 chopped bell peppers to the pan with the mushrooms before roasting. Before serving, add chopped cooked chicken to the vegetable and quinoa mixture.
Balsamic Garlic Roasted Mushrooms and Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 16 ounces crimini, baby bella mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup chopped shallot
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cool water. Drain and place in a medium pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat but keep lid on the pot until the mushrooms are done.
- While the quinoa is cooking, rinse mushrooms or wipe clean with a damp cloth. Slice mushrooms into halves or quarters, depending on size and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast mushrooms for 10 minutes. At this point, they won’t be quite done but will finish cooking after you add the shallots, garlic and balsamic.
- Add the chopped shallots and garlic to the pan with the mushrooms. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and toss gently to combine. Return the pan to the oven and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes more, until mushrooms are done to your liking.
- Fluff quinoa with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine, if desired. Serve.
My family is so boring with our Thanksgiving – we make the SAME recipes year after year, minus dessert which I’ve obviously taken over and made exciting 🙂 but each year, I try to take over a little more to make things more exciting, and I’m determined to bring a few extra, unique sides this year. These garlic quinoa mushrooms look like the perfect thing. Might have to do a test run too 😉 yum!
We pretty much make the same recipes year after year, too, Rachel! I agree, dessert is a fun place to switch things up!
I’m going to try this recipe. It looks yummy!
I hope you like it, Amy!
I love roasted mushrooms! What a wonderfully healthy lunch!
Thank you, Christin!
I feel like the dishes I have on Thanksgiving are pretty standard, like stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, etc. I would definitely add this quinoa to the mix, though. I love ANYTHING with mushrooms, especially when quinoa is involved. Looks SO good, Kristine!
This recipe was great and so easy. I had to substitute the olive oil with vegetable oil because I didn’t have any in the house. It was so tasty and a nice change to the palate.
Hi Natasha, I’m so happy to hear that you liked this! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂