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Home » Side Dish Recipes » Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta

Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta

Published: Aug 11, 2015 · Modified: Aug 17, 2020 by Cooking Chat · This post may contain affiliate links

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Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta makes a tasty side or a substantial vegetarian main | cookingchatfood.comThis dish combines two things I didn’t eat much until recently. Eggplant languished on my short list of veggies that I don’t like for many years. But if you are doing a farmshare, there’s a lot of eggplant, so I gave it another try. I found grilling the eggplant to be crucial for me, adding a nice caramelized flavor. Now I have an appreciation for the substance this vegetable can add to a dish. Salting the eggplant as described in the instructions is also very helpful.

The first couple of times I made quinoa, I didn’t like the way it came out. I didn’t try it again for many years, but gave it another shot after having quinoa preparations I liked a few times eating out. I find the key with quinoa is combining it with enough flavorful foods, as it doesn’t have a lot of taste by itself. This new Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta is a great example of a quinoa dish with plenty of taste!

Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant and Spinach | cookingchatfood.com

I was initially going to just toss the grilled eggplant with onions and feta, but to make it a more nutritionally well-rounded dish, I also added a couple handfuls of baby spinach. That was easier than making a separate green salad! The spinach wilted a bit just from the heat of the grilled onions and just cooked quinoa. So now the ingredients sound like they could be a Greek pizza topping or something, but here they make for a flavorful quinoa dish.

We had this quinoa dish as a side along with some Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts. This quinoa with grilled eggplant is certainly hearty enough to be a vegetarian main dish, too. I wrote the recipe as a side; if serving as a main, I would say this would serve two people in the proportions given. Whether as a side or on its own, I hope you give this tasty dish a try and add to your quinoa repertoire!

Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta | cookingchatfood.com

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Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta

Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta makes a tasty side or a substantial vegetarian main | cookingchatfood.com
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Quinoa tossed with grilled eggplant, onion, spinach and feta for a tasty side or a vegetarian main dish.

  • Author: Cooking Chat
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Fusion

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water until the water runs clear
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 large eggplant, sliced
  • ⅓ cup feta cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Spread the eggplant slices out on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant sit with the salt for at least 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium high.
  3. Toss the onion with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread out on a grill pan, and place on grill.
  4. Grill the onion, stirring occasionally, until it browns and softens. This should take about 10 minues.
  5. Remove the grilled onion from the grill, and scrape into a bowl. Add the baby spinach, and stir in a tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
  6. Start the quinoa as the onion grills. Heat the water to boiling, stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer covered for 16 to 20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
  7. When the quinoa is done, stir the onion spinach mixture into the quinoa. Cover to keep warm as the eggplant grills if it isn’t done yet.
  8. Start the eggplant grilling while the quinoa is cooking. Coat the grill with oil spray. Spread the eggplant out in a grill pan or directly on the grill if you have large slices. Grill the eggplant for 5 minutes, then turn over and grill for another 4 or 5 minutes until tender.
  9. Remove the eggplant from the grill, then stir into the quinoa. Stir in the feta cheese. Serve and enjoy as a side dish or vegetarian main.

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Looking for more tasty and healthy quinoa recipes? Try Turkey Sausage with Kale and Quinoa.

« Grilled Pork with Portuguese Potatoes and Kale for #winePW
Grilled Chicken Sandwich for Back to School »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes

    August 12, 2015 at 6:13 am

    I know what you mean about a farm share forcing one’s hand when it comes to vegetables. Especially with our winter CSA, we end up with so many turnips and rutabegas- ugh! This however looks inspired and delicious! Love the feta!

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      August 12, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      The CSA is a great way to expand the veggie cooking repertoire! Haven’t gotten much going on with rutabegas though.

      Reply
  2. Shashi at RunninSrilankan

    August 12, 2015 at 9:01 am

    I love quinoa and I love eggplant – but never thought to combine them! This sounds wonderful – love the addition of feta too!

    Reply
  3. Melissa Falk

    August 12, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    Love a good Mediterranean meal. Your photo is great!

    Reply
  4. Julia

    August 12, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    I need to eat more eggplant! This dish sounds wonderful. I love the feta in there.

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      August 12, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Thanks Julia, I’m starting to get more into eggplant.

      Reply
  5. Christy @ Confessions of Culinary Diva

    August 12, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    I wish Sous Chef enjoyed eggplant more – this looks so delicious and great for summer heat!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Cooking Chat

      August 13, 2015 at 6:21 am

      Thanks Christy…the rest of my crew is a bit slow to warm up to eggplant too!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Quinoa with Grilled Onions and Peppers | Cooking Chat says:
    April 27, 2016 at 6:20 am

    […] Today, it is quinoa with grilled onions and peppers. Some other tasty quinoa favorites include Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta and Quinoa with Salmon and […]

    Reply
  2. 15 Favorite Grilling Recipes | Cooking Chat says:
    June 18, 2016 at 6:18 am

    […] Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta Eggplant is a wonderful vegetable to grill. Combined here with quinoa, spinach and feta, this can serve as a hearty side or vegetarian main course. […]

    Reply
  3. Tomato and Eggplant Pasta with Turkey #MerlotMe | Cooking Chat says:
    October 26, 2017 at 6:20 am

    […] Up until recently, eggplant was on the very short list of vegetables I don’t like. But then I figured out it was a matter of preparation. I found like eggplant grilled or roasted, as in this Quinoa with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Feta recipe. […]

    Reply

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Hi there! I'm David. I love creating tasty, (mostly) healthy recipes, finding great wine pairings, and sharing good food with family and friends. learn more about me!

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