Moroccan spiced orange quinoa is anything but boring. It's infused with warm cinnamon, sweet raisins, crunchy walnuts, and bright citrus from fresh orange zest and juice. Whether you make it on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, this easy vegan side dish is fragrant and full of flavor.
If you're tired of plain quinoa, this recipe is here to shake things up. It's inspired by my Moroccan carrot and orange salad and gets a fresh boost from chopped mint and cilantro.
Many readers have shared that this quinoa dish is a hit at their Passover tables, thanks to its vibrant flavors and holiday-friendly ingredients.
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Easy, delicious, and a new 5 star recipe for me.
- JJ
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Shredded carrots (Grate them with a box grater or food processor, or use pre-shredded carrots from the store.)
- Ground cinnamon
- Quinoa (White quinoa works great, but tri-color or red quinoa are delicious options, too.)
- Raisins (Or try cranberries, chopped apricots, or your favorite dried fruit.)
- Walnuts (Or substitute your preferred nuts or seeds.)
- Orange (You'll use both the zest and the juice.)
- Fresh cilantro (Or use parsley if you prefer.)
- Fresh mint
- Salt and pepper
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make orange spiced quinoa
- Saute the shredded carrots in olive oil until softened.
- Stir in the cinnamon and the rinsed, drained quinoa and saute for another minute.
- Add water and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed (either by simmering on the stovetop or using a pressure cooker).
- Fold in the raisins, walnuts, orange zest, orange juice, cilantro, and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Serving suggestions
This orange quinoa recipe is versatile and perfect for any season.
- Serve it as a main dish with a simple salad tossed in green olive dressing or a side of sauteed green beans and mushrooms.
- Pair it with oven-roasted chickpeas and pesto Brussels sprouts with sun-dried tomatoes for a flavorful plant-based spread.
- Or build a quinoa power bowl with roasted butternut squash and your favorite toppings.
Once you try it, you'll never want to serve plain quinoa again.
Made this recipe or have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 For even more recipes, join the Veggies Save The Day community. It's less like a newsletter and more like emails between friends.
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Moroccan Spiced Orange Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and grated (use box grater or food processor)
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (use fine mesh strainer)
- 2 cups water, (1¼ cups water if using Instant Pot Method)
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Stove Top Method:
- Heat the oil over medium heat.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the carrots and saute until soft.½ cup carrots
- Stir in the cinnamon and rinsed quinoa and saute for 1 minute.pinch ground cinnamon
- Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.2 cups water
- Fold in the raisins, walnuts, orange zest, orange juice, cilantro, and mint. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed and serve.½ cup raisins, 1 Tablespoon orange zest, 2 Tablespoons orange juice, 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, salt and pepper
Instant Pot Method:
- Using the saute function, heat the oil.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the carrots and saute until soft.½ cup carrots
- Stir in the cinnamon and rinsed quinoa and saute for 1 minute.pinch ground cinnamon, 1 cup quinoa
- Add 1¼ cups water and stir to combine. Close and lock the lid. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
- After the pressure has released, open the lid and fold in the raisins, walnuts, orange zest, orange juice, cilantro, and mint. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed and serve.½ cup raisins, ½ cup walnuts, 1 Tablespoon orange zest, 2 Tablespoons orange juice, 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, salt and pepper
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation.
Fazliana says
This was such a treat! Fresh, zesty & citrusy with some hints of sweetness from the raisins, crunch from walnuts and freshness from the herbs. Used up my leftover cooked quinoa and this recipe did not disappoint!
Amy Katz says
So glad you enjoyed it, Fazliana! I'm a big fan of the flavors too. 🙂
jj says
easy, delicious and a new 5 star recipe for me
Marsha N says
This was a very easy recipe. When we tasted it, the flavor was a bit bland, so I sprinkled some cardamom over the top and stirred it in. With this addition we could really taste the orange and other add ins.
Amy Katz says
Great idea, thanks Marsha!
Toni says
We made this for Passover and it was a great hit! Thanks, Amy!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it, Toni!
Ruchama Burrell says
This recipe looks wonderful. We will definitely want to make it for Passover when maintaining a vegan diet is especially challenging. One thing: I've been cooking with quinoa for quite a while. One blogger suggested that the two-to-one liquid to quinoa was a little too much liquid. I tried her stove top method and found that 1 3/4 or even 1 1/2 cups of liquid to quinoa actually worked better. It helps to have a heavy pot with a tight lid and keep a close eye on the quinoa as it cooks.
Amy Katz says
I think it will be wonderful for Passover. Thanks for the tip, Ruchama!
Itris says
I like this recipe - it covers all the bases: nutritional and yummy. There was enough leftover to have with lunch the next day. Definitely one of our new favourites, thank you.
Amy Katz says
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!