08/31/2026
My basil plant was growing beautifully, so I thought—why not bring some of that fresh goodness into my kitchen? I decided to try a quinoa basil fried rice, and I absolutely loved how it turned out! Light, colourful, wholesome and wonderfully fragrant with the basil I had grown myself. 🌱✨
There’s just something extra special about cooking with vegetables and herbs from your own garden. ❤️
⬇️ Quinoa Basil Fried Rice⬇️
Ingredients
* 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
* 1 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
* 3–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* ½ cup carrots, finely chopped
* ½ cup bell pepper, chopped
* ½ cup green beans, finely chopped
* ¼ cup sweet corn or peas
* 1–2 green chillies, finely chopped
* 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
* 1–2 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tsp vinegar or fresh lemon juice
* Salt, to taste
* ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional
Method
1. Cook quinoa according to the package directions and let it cool completely. Fluff with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan or wok. Add garlic and green chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add onion and all the vegetables. Stir-fry on high heat for 3–4 minutes, keeping the vegetables slightly crunchy.
4. Add the cooled quinoa and toss everything together.
5. Add soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and a little salt. Stir-fry for another 2–3 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and gently fold in the fresh basil leaves. The residual heat will wilt them while keeping their lovely aroma.
7. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve hot.
Little tip: Keep the quinoa slightly dry and well-cooled before stir-frying. This gives you that lovely fried-rice texture rather than making it mushy.