Who doesn’t get excited about tossing a bunch of ingredients in a bowl with a smoky southwestern vinaigrette?
When one of my coworkers asked for a vegetarian entree option a while back I remembered how few I have here. Even quite a few of my salads have meat in them. Obviously this is not a bad thing, but remember I am married to a hunter.
Last time I made a vegetarian dish for us, John was very pleased. And again when he tried this Southwestern Quinoa Bowl he gave it two thumbs up! So from now on I am going to try to add more meatless meals to our menu rotation.
As you saw last week with the salsa recipe I can usually only go only 1-2 weeks without Mexican food. And then when you have 27 days until Cinco de Mayo I get a little giddy. Don’t judge me that I am keeping count.
But there’s always a big shin dig going on at our house for it! And this Southwestern Quinoa Bowl is the perfect option for those who want a vegetarian option or one that is not covered with lots of queso. Or just be like me and enjoy both!
Southwest Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil or butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- zest of 1 lime
- 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn can use canned, drained or frozen, thawed
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
- 1 avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
Southwest Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon paprika can also used smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions
To Make the Quinoa Bowls
- Evenly divide the black beans, corn, peppers, feta, avocado, quinoa and cilantro into the two separate bowls.
To cook the quinoa
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add quinoa, olive oil or butter, and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, add lime zest and fluff with fork to incorporate.
To make the vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon oregano, and pinch of cayenne. Pour as much as is desired over the contents of each bowl and gently toss to combine.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Bonnie Higgins says
This looks awesome! Let’s make some next week.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
We are usually a family of meat eaters, but this looks amazing! We could totally skip the meat here and not miss it!
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
This is a perfect vegan meal! I love quinoa and this looks awesome! Can’t wait to try!
Laura / I Heart Naptime says
Yum! This looks perfect for me to make this weekend for my husband and I to have for lunches this week!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
This looks beyond amazing and I LOVE that you added feta in here! I’m a feta addict!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
Wow, this looks amazing! I rarely have vegetarian meals either–I guess I just don’t think about it! But, I definitely have to try this–I don’t think I’d even miss the meat!