This Vegan Mexican Quinoa is a plant-based, high-protein and super flavorful meal, that you can enjoy as a healthy dinner, or a quick, filling work lunch (in a burrito) as well!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll LOVE this recipe
High-protein: There are 21 grams of protein in 1 serving of Mexican Quinoa.
Easy: You only one pot to make this meal, making it the perfect, quick weeknight dinner!
Meal-prep friendly: Make this dish ahead! Mexican Quinoa lasts for days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- dry quinoa
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- garlic
- black beans
- yellow corn
- bell peppers
- diced tomatoes
- vegetable broth
- smoked paprika powder
- ground cumin
- chili powder (optional)
- chili flakes (optional)
- bay leaves
- salt, ground black pepper
How to Make
STEP 1:
Rinse the dry quinoa well under running water; set aside.
STEP 2:
Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sautee for about 5 minutes.
STEP 3:
Add the minced garlic and all spices (ground cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, smoked paprika powder, ground black pepper) to the pan and cook (while stirring) for about 1 minute.
STEP 4:
Add the dry quinoa, canned/cooked black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, veggie broth and salt to the pan; stir well.
STEP 5:
Cover the pan with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the quinoa simmer for about 15 minutes (until the liquid is mostly absorbed).
Give it a quick stir every 2-3 minutes. (The bottom of the quinoa can burn quickly, so be careful!)
Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
STEP 6:
Top with fresh lime juice, vegan sour cream and/or chopped cilantro (optional).
Substitutions
Note: The nutritional info of this recipe is calculated with the original ingredients.
Diced tomatoes: You can use chopped tomatoes and crushed tomatoes as well.
Bell pepper: You can use any color bell peppers. The only difference is mostly nutrition-wise, with red bell pepper (ripest) being the most nutritious.
FAQ
There are 524 calories in 1 serving of this dish (21 grams protein and 66 gram carbs).
To cook fluffy quinoa, you have to first, rinse it well under cold, running water to remove the bitter outer coating. Use twice as much water, and when the water is mostly gone after cooking, remove from heat and let the quinoa steam (while covered) for about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
More tasty vegan quinoa recipes
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl
Pesto Quinoa Salad
Green Pea Quinoa
For more tasty vegan recipes:
dinner, quinoa, high-protein, meal prep, macro-friendly
One Pot Mexican Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 ½ cup canned black beans (280 g)
- 1 cup canned corn
- 1 large bell pepper (chopped)
- ¾ cup diced tomatoes (180 g)
- 1 ⅓ cups vegetable broth (I used salted broth.)
- 1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Spice Mix
- 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder (or to taste) (optional)
- ½ tsp chili flakes (or to taste) (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Optional Toppings
- fresh lime juice
- vegan sour cream
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse the dry quinoa well under running water; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sautee for about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and all spices (ground cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, smoked paprika powder, ground black pepper) to the pan and cook (while stirring) for about 1 minute.
- Add the dry quinoa, canned/cooked black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, veggie broth and salt to the pan; stir well.
- Cover the pan with a lid, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the quinoa simmer for about 15 minutes (until the liquid is mostly absorbed). Give it a quick stir every 2-3 minutes. (The bottom of the quinoa can burn quickly, so be careful!)Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
- Top with fresh lime juice, vegan sour cream and/or chopped cilantro (optional).
It was yummy! Gave me the right inspiration. I didn’t have tomato puree so I used some vegan plain BBQ sauce and vegetable stock. I served with corn tortillas which really highlighted the flavors, especially the smoked paprika. Thank you!
It’s so filling! I already tried it out with hard shell tacos too and they work great together.