Spicy Quinoa Casserole (nut-free, gluten-free)

This delicious, hearty, fluffy quinoa casserole is packed with amazing Indian spices, toothsome chickpeas, and lots of veggies. 1 Pan 1 Step dump and bake. No need to stand around to saute anything! Gluten-free, Nutfree

This is a super quick, dump-and-done casserole dish. The technique is similar to my rice and chickpea casserole (baked chana pulau), but we make this dish with quinoa instead of rice and a different flavor profile.

It needs 1 baking dish, and just 1 step. No need to stand around to sauté each step and to keep an eye on the veggies and quinoa.

You can change the spices to your preference, add a different protein like white beans, other beans, tofu, vegan chicken or other! .

If you want to mix up the spices, try a cajun spice blend or just curry powder or Ethiopian Berbere other spices instead of the Indian spices in this recipe. It will still turn out really great! 

We just add all of the aromatics at the bottom with the spices and the sauces and then top it with the quinoa and chickpeas and some broth. Cover with parchment and bake. That’s it!

The baking cooks the aromatics at the bottom of the pan, and it will turn out really deliciously. They kind of get roasted slowly, and everything starts to boil and cook in the oven, and the quinoa gets evenly cooked, as well.

Take the dish out, and you can mix in some finely chopped broccoli at this point. If you want a creamier version, then also add in a little bit of non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream and mix in.

Top this with some lime juice, chopped onion, or other crunchy veggies and herbs, like green onion or cilantro, and serve.

Why You’ll Love this Quinoa Casserole

• dump-and-done one step baking process
• packed with flavor, fluffy quinoa, veggies, and chickpeas
• easy, one-pan meal
• customizable! Use your favorite spices to make it your own.
• Gluten-free and nutfree. easily made soy-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• aromatics – Onion and ginger garlic paste roast slowly in the sauces and spices at the bottom of the pan.
• sauces – Soy sauce and ketchup add umami, salty, and sweet notes to the dish.
• ground spices – Kashmiri chili powder and black pepper add even more amazing flavor!
• veggies – Carrots and bell peppers bring in even more textures and flavors to this quinoa casserole.
• quinoa – You can use quinoa or rice in this casserole.
• chickpeas – Chickpeas complement quinoa so well, and they add protein to the dish. Use other beans or tofu for variation
• water or stock – Boiling hot water or vegetable stock adds the moisture you need to cook the quinoa and soften the chickpeas.
• garnishes – Add even more flavor and texture by topping with green onion, pepper flakes, chopped nuts and/or seeds, fresh herbs, and lemon or lime juice.

How to Make Spicy Quinoa Casserole

Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).

In a 9×11” or similar-sized baking dish, add the oil at the bottom of the pan and spread evenly, then add in the onion, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, and bell pepper and toss to mix really well. Even this mixture out at the bottom of the dish. Then sprinkle the carrots, quinoa, chickpeas on top, and spread but do not mix with the bottom layer. 
Don’t mix the aromatics in they will roast on the bottom, while the quinoa on top cooks.
Alternatively, bake the aromatics for 10 mins then continue with adding the carrots quinoa, chickpeas.

Add salt to the water. Heat up the water or stock, if you haven’t already, until almost boiling, and then drizzle it lightly all over the baking dish. Lightly even it out, top the baking dish with parchment paper, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Check in at the 35-minute mark to see if the quinoa is done or not and also lightly stir the mixture, if the edges are starting to scorch. Cover with parchment again, and continue to bake for another five minutes, if the quinoa isn’t done yet.

Take the baking dish out of the oven, let it sit for another 5 minutes or so, then remove parchment. You can add in about 1/2 cup of finely-chopped broccoli while the quinoa is still hot, mix in, and then cover it with parchment and let it sit for five to six minutes. The heat of the casserole will blanch and cook the broccoli. If you would like a creamier version, then fold in 1/4 cup of non-dairy cream or non-dairy yogurt at this point, and mix in.

Mix and fluff the quinoa really well, then serve in bowls topped with some crunchy green onion, cilantro, or chopped onion and some pepper flakes or black pepper and a good dash of lime juice or lemon juice.