Quinoa in Green Basil Pea Pesto

What better way to use up leftover quinoa sitting lonely in the fridge than with this awesome recipe. It's an extremely easy and super quick process that only requires a few delicious ingredients. This dazzling basil-pea pesto brightens up not just quinoa but also pasta, salads, or garlic bread. One of my favorite things to have in summer is a garden full of fresh herbs growing in the warm sun. Fresh herbs automatically make every dish more colorful and in a way spicier. What I think is best prepared with a fresh bunch of picked herbs is pesto. Packed with healthy ingredients, this green basil pesto is a great addition to a relaxed BBQ. I personally love this combination of soft-boiled quinoa mixed with our green, summer-y pesto, plus it goes great with grilled zucchini, eggplant, carrots and even grilled fennel.

Quinoa in Green Basil Pea Pesto Ingredients

• Basil - Adds the essential and unique flavor!

• Peas & Sunflower Seeds - They give this pasta a wonderful creaminess and cannot be missed!

• Edamame Beans - In combination with the peas, they make it even creamier.

Quinoa in Green Basil Pea Pesto Tips

• Serve - Our favorite combo is serving this Basil Pesto with Quinoa and some grilled vegetables!

• Taste Check - We always recommend taste checking recipes before mixing, cooking, frying or baking things as every person has their individual taste buds - some like their food more salty, or sweeter, or would like to add additional spices.

• Sunflower Seeds - If you don’t have them on hand you can use pine nuts (but it will taste slightly different then).

• Blend - If you want to have the texture of your pesto to be more coarse, blend it for a shorter period of time. For a smoother texture, blend it longer.

• No fresh peas?! - I have used frozen peas several times now and it turns out great too! Just make sure to thaw them before blending them with the other ingredients.

Ingredients

Easy - 4-6 servings - 10 minutes

• ½ cup Edamame Beans

• ½ cup Peas

• ¼ Tomato

• 1 ¼ cup Basil

• 4 Garlic Cloves

• ½ Onion

• ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds

• ½ tsp Salt

• ½ tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa, or have your left-over quinoa ready to go.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add all ingredients and blend until creamy. (That’s how easy it is;))

3. When the quinoa is done cooking, drain any excess water.

4. Pour the pesto mixture in the pot over the quinoa and mix thoroughly.

5. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of lemon juice and some sunflower seeds. Enjoy!