Purple Cabbage and Quinoa

This recipe was given to me by a friend, Tori. She pushes me to try new foods that are simple and always with more than a motive of “it just tastes good.” She eats food with purpose and the bonus is it always tastes great. This recipe makes enough for Tim and I to have dinner and about 2 lunches each for the week. So thanks, Tori, for this simple, tasty recipe.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 large container of vegetable broth
• 1 purple cabbage, rough chopped 
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 4 cups of the vegetable broth from large container. 
• Garlic
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• *Parmesan shredded cheese, if desired. I used dairy free shreds.

1. Begin by heating about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth in a large sauté pan. Bring to a boil. 
2. Add chopped purple cabbage. Sprinkle garlic and salt over top. Give a stir. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally   
3. While cabbage is cooking, in a separate sauce pan, bring 4 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add in 2 cups of quinoa and some garlic powder and salt. Add a dash of olive oil if you desire. Cover and let simmer on reduced heat for about 15 minutes. 
4. Let quinoa rest covered for about 5 minutes off the heat. 
5. After about an hour of slow simmer of the cabbage, add about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the cabbage and turn up on high heat for about 2 minutes. Stir while sautéing. This will make it caramelize a bit. 
6. Remove from heat. Spoon red cabbage, a bit of quinoa, and sprinkle with Parmesan on top. 
7. Enjoy!

***We have also sauted mushrooms and onions along with the red cabbage.  This is tasty and adds more flavor/texture.