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Fresh Caprese Quinoa Bowl with Easy Zesty Pesto Drizzle

Fresh Caprese Quinoa Bowl - featured image
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A fresh, vibrant, and zesty quinoa bowl featuring cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and a homemade pesto drizzle. Perfect for a quick, light, and flavorful meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (170g) uncooked quinoa
  • 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 8 oz (225g) fresh mini mozzarella or bocconcini, drained and halved
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed, torn or chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (30g) pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water for about 30 seconds using a fine mesh sieve to remove bitterness.
  2. Transfer quinoa to a medium saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed.
  3. Remove from heat and let quinoa sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  4. While quinoa cooks, toast ¼ cup pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant.
  5. Transfer toasted pine nuts to a food processor with 1 cup fresh basil leaves, 1 small garlic clove, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
  6. Pulse until smooth but still slightly textured. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a teaspoon of water if pesto is too thick.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, combine fluffed quinoa, halved cherry tomatoes, and halved mozzarella balls. Gently toss to combine.
  8. Fold in torn or chopped fresh basil leaves.
  9. Drizzle the zesty pesto evenly over the quinoa mixture and toss gently to distribute without crushing ingredients.
  10. Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil leaves or toasted pine nuts if desired.

Notes

Rinse quinoa to remove bitterness. Toast pine nuts lightly for best flavor. Pulse pesto to keep texture. Handle mozzarella and tomatoes gently to avoid bruising. Pesto can be made ahead and stored refrigerated for up to 2 days. For vegan option, omit mozzarella and Parmesan, use avocado and nutritional yeast instead.

Nutrition

Keywords: quinoa bowl, caprese, pesto drizzle, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, healthy dinner, vegetarian, gluten-free

Find it online: https://fuzzyforker.com/fresh-caprese-quinoa-bowl-recipe-with-easy-zesty-pesto-drizzle-guide/