Asian Quinoa with Shrimp & Broccolini {Recipe}

It seems I can never get enough of easy, weeknight meals. I have a couple go-tos, but I’d like to work on coming up with more. Maybe this would be helpful for you guys, too?

When I think about these types of meals, I try to focus on 3 main areas: effort, time, and cost. My perfect meal takes little effort, comes together quickly, and is very cost-effective. It’s like the unicorn meal because it’s rare you can get all of those things to fall into place. Sometimes something can be really cheap and fast, but it may take more effort. I usually find that there’s a balance of sorts, but if something fits two of those areas better than the third, it can usually work.

Here’s a recipe that I came up with recently that I really enjoyed – Asian Quinoa with Shrimp & Broccolini. This one is relatively cost-effective, easy, and fast. As a bonus, it’s healthy, too! Woohoo!

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{I usually cut my broccolini into 3 sections}

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Asian Quinoa with Shrimp & Broccolini

Here’s an easy and healthy weeknight meal. If you’re new to quinoa, this would be a great one to experiment with. You should be able to easily multiply this for more servings.

You could easily sub tofu for a vegetarian/vegan version! Oh, and this recipe is gluten-free so long as you make sure you use GF products. Most broths, for example, are GF, but it’s best to check the labels to confirm.

Cook time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 2

*Gluten-free if products utilized are GF*

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups broth/stock of choice (vegetable or chicken would be great)
  • 1/2 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch broccolini, stems trimmed, chopped into roughly 1″ pieces
  • 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
  • 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • fresh parsley, optional, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat sesame oil in a medium/large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook till fragrant, about 60 seconds, stirring. Stir in quinoa.
  2. Add broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook 18 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add broccolini on top of the quinoa (which will act as a steamer basket), recover and cook for 8-12 minutes, until broccolini is tender and quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  4. Meanwhile (I’d start this after adding the broccolini), heat peanut/canola a large pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are cooked through (opaque), about 3-4 minutes on each side. Stir in 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
  5. Add cooked quinoa and broccolini to the pan with the shrimp and stir till well mixed.
  6. Serve, top with parsley (if using), and enjoy. Serve with soy sauce on the side in case you want a more salty flavor.

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I’m hoping to create a one-pot version of this meal in the near future! Stay tuned for that one!

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Reader question: How long do you prefer to spend cooking dinner on week (work) days? I love it when they only take about 20-30 minutes!

7 thoughts on “Asian Quinoa with Shrimp & Broccolini {Recipe}”

  1. this sounds divine! for weeknight meals, i try to do a few really fast meals (under 30) but don’t mind if some take longer as long as part of that “longer” is baking in the oven or something. my husband usually helps cook, so it’s fun to work on dinner together.

    Reply
  2. Hi Diane,

    Do you have a calorie count for your amazing dishes? My husband and I are trying to eat healthier this year and need to stay within a certain caloric numbers each day. I’d like to use some of your amazing recipes. Do you have a nutritional breakdown?

    Thanks,
    Rosemarie

    Reply

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