Sausage and Sweet Potato Quinoa is a hearty dish that’s ready in 45 minutes and perfect for cooler days! It combines veggies and homemade Italian sausage with whole grain for a complete meal. What else could you ask for? Well, wait. It also reheats nicely so make it in bulk to have leftovers for lunch the next day. This recipe makes 6 servings but you could easily halve it.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a crop that’s related to beetroots and spinach. It’s been cultivated in Andes for centuries, mainly for its edible seed. The Incas referred to it as the “mother grain” because of its balanced nutritional value. The plant’s leaves are eaten as leafy greens while its edible seeds are cooked and eaten as a whole grain. Quinoa is gluten-free and rich in complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids that are necessary for our everyday diet.
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables and my husband’s least favorite. Actually, disliking would be such a mild word for his hate of sweat potatoes. So I did what any food smart mom would do and hacked the recipe for the sake of my family’s table-time bliss. Instead of three sweet potatoes called for in this recipe, I used half sweet potatoes and half gold potatoes to make everyone happy. Sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.
The Origin of Sausage and Sweet Potato Quinoa
I first made this sausage and sweet potato quinoa recipe after I read about it in Liana Krissloff’s wonderful book Whole Grains for a New Generation
We all love the flavors of Italian sausage, but the store-bought one comes will different preservatives and fillers so I avoid it. That’s why I make my own sweet homemade Italian sausage to avoid all unnecessary ingredients. Another nutritional hack I like is the use of homemade chicken broth instead of water to cook quinoa to also add the benefits of bone broth to this dish.
Sausage and Sweet Potato Quinoa
Sausage and Sweet Potato Quinoa is a hearty dish that’s ready in 45 minutes. It combines vegetables and sausage with whole grain for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Oven:
- 3 sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Stovetop:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 lbs sweet Italian sausage homemade
- 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 1 cup ivory quinoa
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
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Place sweet potatoes on a 10x15-inch baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper, parsley flakes and drizzle with olive oil. Give them a good rub and spread in a single layer. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are nice and soft.
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Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large, 10-inch skillet or saute pan. Add red onion and sauté for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Place 1-inch pieces of sausage in the skillet and combine with the onion. Brown well on all sides…about 10 minutes.
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Place quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse well under running water. Add to the skillet with sausage and onion. Pour in the chicken broth and combine. Bring to boil then lower the heat to allow quinoa and sausage to simmer. Cover with a lid and let cook 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is tender and puffed. The liquid should be absorbed.
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Remove sweet potato out of the oven and toss in with the sausage and quinoa. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
The recipe is adapted from Liana Krissloff’s book “Whole Grains for a New Generation”.
Make sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking to remove any bitter powdery coating that may be left on the grains.
This recipe reheats nicely.
