Healthy, flavorful and delicious southwest quinoa bowls filled with black beans, lots of veggies, and tons of spicy southwest flavor! Ready in 30 minutes, vegan & gluten-free.
So I don’t know about you, but my husband is the whiniest whenever I make dinner with no meat. In fact, if I even try to get him to go to a vegetarian restaurant he flat our refuses.
The funniest part is that if I just don’t say anything and feed him a veggie burger, he loves it. I’m pretty sure it’s a mental man thing. Dinner isn’t dinner without meat? It’s like he’s still stuck in 1990 when they thought all vegetarians ate no protein.
So of course the other night as this baby was cooking, he was “snacking” on beef jerky. Then about 2 bites in, he realized the err of his ways, and fell equally in love as I did. Also, he continued to eat all the leftovers sans jerky, so I’d so it was pretty much a success. 😉
Cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth adds so much flavor. Add that to every southwest flavor you can throw in the mix and you have a healthy, easy, protein-packed vegan lunch or dinner with over the top delicious flavor!
It’s only a little spicy, so if you want a spicier dish, feel free to leave the ribs and seeds in from the jalapeno, or even add a second jalapeno, or more green chile. The best part is this dish is totally customizable, so feel free to add whatever you want. Don’t have something on hand? Leave it out. There’s so much going on that it’s easy to play with. Psssst: If you’re not vegan, topping this baby with goat cheese is kinda the stuff dreams are made of. 😉
- 2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 x 15 ounce cans black beans, lightly drained
- 1 x 15 ounce can corn, drained
- 1 bell pepper (preferably red or orange), finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1 x 4 ounce can green chiles
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- generous pinch cumin
- generous pinch pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1" pieces
- finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
- finely chopped green onion, for garnish
- Chalulah for topping, optional
- Place quinoa, vegetable broth, and garlic in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until liquid is incorporated.
- Stir in beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, green chiles, lime zest and juice, cumin and pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes. Serve topped with avocado, cilantro, green onion and Chalulah if desired. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Avocado will not stay fresh as long, so you should store separately (with the pit and a little lime juice), and may need a second one. This can be served hot or cold.
