There’s no doubt that slow cookers are a boon for braising meats and making hearty chilis during the long, cold months of winter, but don’t pack yours away as soon as the weather warms up. As spring approaches, a slow cooker is still a great way to cook nearly effortless meals, and clean up is a breeze. In summer, the slow cooker is a lifesaver when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or stand over a hot stove. On really sizzling summer days, you can even plug your slow cooker in outdoors and let a meal cook for friends.

This slow cooker recipe for Chicken with Quinoa and Spring Vegetables is light but hearty. As the chicken gently cooks for hours it becomes extremely tender and juicy, but it’s the quinoa that’s the real surprise in this dish.

You might wonder why anyone would bother making quinoa in a slow cooker when it’s so easy to make on the stove (I know I did). But then I cooked this dish and discovered how slow cooking the tiny pearls of quinoa with lots of broth brought out even more flavor. When the cooking time is complete, the quinoa and chicken mixture will be sticky, as most of the liquid will have cooked off. But when you stir in more chicken broth a little bit at a time, the mixture takes on a silky texture almost like a fine risotto. You can adjust the amount of extra broth you add so that your finished dish is just the way you like it.

After you add the pesto and thawed frozen peas to the slow cooker, heat a pan over medium heat and sauté shredded carrots for two minutes, then add chopped asparagus and sauté for two more minutes. Lightly cooking these spring vegetables on the stove keeps their flavors and colors bright. After you plate your dish, add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top of each to bring all of the flavors together with a little unexpected richness.

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make this dish!