Quinoa pilaf with wild rice is a nourishing gluten free, vegetarian side dish. Make this slow cooker recipe with delicious, antioxidant-rich autumn vegetables like golden beets, cranberries, and more!
Ahhh the magic of a crock pot.. err slow cooker…err one pot wonder. You know what I’m sayin’, right? Whoever invited the crock pot is pure genius and I only wish I had invested stock in it in 198o.
Okay I wasn’t born yet (1983 baby), but still. What would we do without that little pot of magic? Especially during the holidays. We’d have to actually wait around the stove. Who has time for that? So I’d like to thank my crock pot for making me feel like an overachiever in the kitchen. Ahh…. the confident boost was needed. Haha. Kidding, kinda.
But I digress..
Back to magic and all things slow cooking. This recipe is another one of the Fall glow salads that I love.
But this time, the glow comes from golden beets and some extra special vegetarian-style nourishment. The whole point of this dish is nourishment for your holiday table. Gluten free REAL food nourishment. Yep, and it’s impossibly easy, thanks to the crock pot.
Have you ever cooked quinoa in a slow cooker? I do it when I make pumpkin quinoa porridge.
Well, you’re about to experience some awesome earthy nutty crock pot goodness with this slow cooker quinoa side dish.
Slow cooker quinoa pilaf with wild rice
Golden beats, broccoli, cranberries, shallots, and wild rice are all in this delicious dish. After it slow cooks, you toss it with a little feta and sunflower seeds.
It’s suitable for a side dish OR a meatless meal with plant protein. Or, an awesome vegetarian dish to add to your holiday table.
Okay, but here’s the thing about quinoa and wild rice that you might not know. And will get you super excited to make AND eat this slow cooker quinoa pilaf!
Nutrients in wild rice and quinoa
Wild rice is a grass. Yes, a grass. the seed of long-grain marsh grass. Quinoa is also a “pseudo-grain,” which means it comes from seeds and grasses.
Do you see where I’m going with this? PLANT BASED perfection all in one quinoa pilaf dish. When quinoa and wild rice are slow cooked or soaked, it’s easier to digest and really absorb those nutrients. Remember my phytates talk with that detox bowl? Yep, same concept there.
Okay, so let’s get to some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G facts about quinoa and wild rice . Are ready to feel all healthy and schtuff?
WILD RICE
- Rich in lysine (an essential protein) and B vitamins.
- Protein rich (plant based protein)
- Rich in folate! Now remember, that’s different that folic acid. Folic Acid is the synthetic form. Folate is the real deal and found in plant based foods.
QUINOA
Quinoa is equally amazing!!
- Excellent source of iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and B vitamins to name a few.
- It’s also a complete protein. Which means it has all the 9 essential amino acids our bodies need.
Let’s not forget the other crazy good autumn vegetables I packed in this dish.
How to make quinoa pilaf
- Add autumn veggies to the slow cooker.
Golden beets, broccoli, and cranberries have massive amounts of Vitamin C , and fiber to boot!
When you pair veggies that are rich in Vitamin C with iron-rich quinoa, it helps you absorb more of that plant based iron. It is one reason that I ADORE these protein bars too.
Feel free to add any of your favorite veggies to the pot. Heck, you can use this recipe as an excuse to empty out your produce drawer before the veggies go bad.
- Add quinoa and wild rice.
- Add spices and broth. Be sure to stir everything well to combine.
- Slow cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 5 hours. If you cook it on high and the grains are still chewy after two hours, you can turn it to high and give it another 15-30 minutes to cook.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the pilaf with some crumbled feta or some sunflower seeds if you want to.
There ya go! Now you have a healthy holiday quinoa side dish or vegetarian main dish that is ready to serve and enjoy.
RECIPE NOTES
- If there is too much liquid half way through cooking, drain a few tablespoons of the liquid, then continue to cook a little longer. If quinoa is soaking up liquid too quickly, then add another 1/4 to 3/4 cup of broth.
- Out of cranberries? No problem, you can use any other berry. Just don’t slow cook them. Add them fresh afterwards.
- If you don’t have wild rice, brown rice should work. It won’t be the same texture as wild rice though.
- Because different brands of slow cookers cook differently, the cooking times may vary. Just check on things halfway through the suggested cooking time.
Slow Cooker Quinoa Pilaf {Gluten Free, Vegetarian}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This slow cooker quinoa pilaf with wild rice is a delicious gluten free, vegetarian meal or side dish! A healthy dinner recipe for the holidays!
Ingredients
For the Crock Pot/Slow Cooker:
- 2 golden beets (chopped, sliced) if you don’t have golden beets, then regular beets or squash work too
- 1 shallot or red onion (1/3 cup chopped)
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup chopped broccoli (to be added last)
- 3/4 cup wild rice (see notes for substitutes)
- 1 1/4 cup quinoa ([url] Better Body Foods Quinoa ∞https://www.betterbodyfoods.com/product/organic-quinoa/[/url])
- 2 1/4 to 3 cups broth
- 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt and pepper (adjust to your taste and sodium content needed)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp dry herb season mix of choice. (I used a[url] Mediterranean Spice Blend ∞http://amzn.to/2esZbOU[/url])
- 3 tbsp orange juice
Ingredients to add after the quinoa pilaf is cooked:
- 1 cup feta crumbles (5oz)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds (roasted or raw)
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- salt/pepper to taste
- extra dried cranberries to mix in if desired.
- 1/2 cup or so of fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Clean, chop, and prep your vegetables. Place vegetables (minus the broccoli), quinoa, wild rice, broth, fresh cranberries, and seasoning in crock pot. Pour your broth and orange juice on top and mix thoroughly.
- Important Note: each slow cooker works differently. If you don’t want your broccoli overcooked, please add it the last half hour of cooking versus at the beginning. If you want it more cooked add the broccoli with the rest of the vegetables at the beginning.
- Place on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or low for 5 hours. Check half way and mix ingredients in pot with spoon. see notes for if pilaf is too dry or too wet halfway through cooking
- Quinoa should be fluffy once done. The wild rice will still be a little al dente.
- Remove and place all contents in a large bowl.
- Mix in the remaining pilaf ingredients: Seeds, feta, dried cranberries, and any extra fresh raw vegetables you might want to use up.
- Add salt, pepper, and any other spices desired and mix again.
- Top with fresh herbs.
- Serve immediately or store in fridge (covered) until ready to serve.
Notes
- If there is too much liquid half way through cooking, drain a few tbsp and cook a little longer. If quinoa is soaking up liquid too fast, then add a 1/4 to 3/4 cup more broth.
- If you don’t have cranberries, you can use any other berry. Just don’t slow cook them. Add them fresh afterwards.
- If you don’t have wild rice, brown rice should work. It won’t be the same texture as wild rice though.
- * crockpot cooking times may vary* so keep a close check halfway through suggested cooking time
- Category: side dish, meatless main
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 236
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 291.6mg
- Fat: 8.3g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 32.3g
- Fiber: 4.2g
- Protein: 9.2g
- Cholesterol: 14.8mg
Keywords: quinoa pilaf, slow cooker quinoa, healthy side dishes
Tip: Save some extra raw veggies and cranberries to toss on top after. It gives this quinoa pilaf a little extra crunch and tartness. I spiralized my other portion of golden beets, just for the heck of it, then added it on top. LOVE!
Y’all, this dish gets a gold star. Ahem… golden beets and all! Sorry, corniness slipped in.
When was the last time you made quinoa? Ever tried it with other grains in a crock pot? HOP to it!
What’s your favorite type of pilaf recipe?
More Plant Based Quinoa Recipes to LOVE
- Toasted Quinoa Salad
- California Quinoa Wraps
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
Sign up & get 5 FREE RECIPES from my
WIld rice is the one kind of rice that I actually do like! and you included golden beets, so SIGN ME UP
oh yay! i made a rice for suzy! life goals! haha
Wild rice and quinoa? Now that’s a party in a bowl!
you know it!
Made for me, thanks friend! Yummers.
always for you!
YUM! I never use my slow cooker enough! I’m thinking this would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving. I tend to bring my own side dishes to my family gatherings and my sister is now vegan, so she could enjoy this with me!!
for sure! just take out the feta and it’s vegan. Or use vegan cheese. Totally works! Keep me posted
This looks amazing. Pinned for later 🙂
thanks friend!
Yums!!! Great dinner and awesome for lunch if lucky to have leftovers. Can’t wait to make this bowl of pure taste explosion. Hope u r feeling great!!
yea! let me know whatcha think. And thank you. I am feeling better!
1983 in the house!
I need to bust out the crockpot again. I love these recipes… anything I can throw in a pot and forget about, I’m a fan of.
you know it. Crock pot saves us! let’s see what else we can throw in it. Ohhhh new cooking show idea! haha
I need a crockpot but more I need you close to me to cook for me! 🙂 That looks amazing! Love quinoa & I would even add more protein via chicken or turkey for me personally for a meal… YUM!!!!! That would be a perfect lunch for me though just like that!
I wish you did too!! Some day, right?
Spiralized beets? Yes!! This sounds absolutely delicious and I am always a fan of crockpot recipes. 🙂
You have to try spiralizing beets! it’s so fun. Well, golden beets. Not the red. haha
I couldn’t agree more about the crock pot! I often find myself saying (in reply to other people’s comments about a meal)…It’s embarrassing how *little* work I did to cook this for you. LoL! 😉 Also this looks like the perfect meal! Love it!
I love this, Lindsay!! I’ve never put any sort of grain in my crock pot/slower cooker before but it’s totally genius! I love all the fall flavours here – especially those cranberries!
me too! crock pot is my lifesaver!
Ooh we have golden beets, and I’ve been wondering what to do with them! Bingo!
did you get to try this? keep me posted if so!
Oh man oh man oh man. I feel healthier just reading this! I have a bag of wild rice I’ve been wanting to finally use, AND I’ve basically been married to my slow cooker lately (hello life saver) so I am sooo excited for thisssss.
right?! so in love with the slow cooker. swoooooon!
you know you had me at crockpot!!!! Love finding new things to make, you can bet it’s pinned to get it done
Yes. Totally Amanda proof! Hehe miss you
I made this and the broccoli was over cooked the wild rice was under cooked. So, if I made it again I’d add the broccoli later.
Oh no! I’m sorry. I will definitely put that in the notes.I wonder if it was the setting on different crock pots. Thanks for your feedback
Wow, these look amazing.
thanks friend
i made this recipe and it turned out horrible. wild rice cooks at a totally different rate than the quinoa, beets and broccoli. an additional 1-2 cups were needed. all the vegetables turned out pale and mushy.
Oh I’m so sorry Linda! I’ve made this several times so not sure if it’s the slow cooker or type of quinoa. black rice or brown rice can be substituted. I will test again
also, did you use fresh or frozen broccoli? Did you add it at the end? Thanks.
Is the “broth” in the recipe of a specific type or will any liquid suffice? Water? Thanks!
Broth gives it more flavor for sure. water would work but you might need to add more salt/spices. Does that make sense?
Mine turned out to more like a pile of mush and no fluff ? The flavor is good but I don’t like the texture. If I made it again, I wouldn’t cook it in the crockpot. I would make it all separate and then add it together.
Oh no! What quinoa did you use? Fresh or frozen veggies? So sorry. I will for sure put stove top version in there too if needed.
I made this and it turned out delicious! I checked it halfway through the cooking time as the recipe suggested and could see when I stirred it that it wouldn’t need to go for the full time on high. I guess that’s the way it goes with crock pots – some brands cook faster than others. lol
Planning on making this today! Do you think frozen cauliflower or spinach would work instead of broccoli?
Hi there! I think either would work! But I would chop the cauliflower a little more before you add to the pilaf. Or you could use chopped frozen spinach. Does that make sense?
I just found this recipe & am excited to make it – question: do you think this would hold up well in the crockpot (kept warm) for a few hours? Would like to make it for parent-teacher conferences at school but it will need to sit/hold up in the crock pot for about 3-4 hours. Thanks for your feedback!
I think so! The only think is the quinoa might get a little mushy. Maybe try short grain brown rice and wild rice instead.
I think it would be better to have more information, understand the difficulty because I have learned a lot.
Look so delicious !!! I want to eat it all at the first moment once I see them.
Thank you very much for sharing these foods ..
Thank you, Alexia!
So I just tried the recipe. Would not make again. The rice never throughly cooked even though everything else did. Too much quinoa not enough broth. I did end up adding another cup broth just hoping the rice would cook, no luck. Just didn’t do it for me….
I’m so sorry to hear that Vicki. I do appreciate your feedback. You could use a different rice if you ever try it again. I’ve had others make it and really like it. The rice is a little more al dente when cooked. I’ve also found that it depends on the quinoa you use. I will make notes in the recipe section.
If I am unable to get golden beets in my small town what should I use instead?
I don’t really know how to use this form, so if a reply wasn’t appropriate I’m sorry.
Emailing you! But just in case you don’t get it, do you have regular beets or butternut squash?
how big are the serving sizes? i’m using fresh broccoli, when should i add them?
About a 3/4 cup to 1 cup. Add broccoli chopped last half hour or so. Hope that helps! Be sure to stir it ever so often while cooking. Each crock pot cooks wild rice and quinoa at different rates.