Southwestern Quinoa Bowl Recipe
This southwestern quinoa bowl recipe is a deliciously simple, plant-based, complete protein meal!
Now that I’m plant-based, I’m constantly looking for ways to get complete proteins. While there is some evidence that this isn’t necessary, I do find that I feel better when I ensure that I am getting complete proteins on a regular basis.
I’m in culinary school, and we are learning about batch cooking as well as the convenience of meals in bowls. So I combined the two to get this dish.
Over the weekend, I made a huge pot of quinoa. I had some cooked black beans in the freezer that I thawed out, and the rest was pretty much all just veggies I chopped. It couldn’t have been simpler!!
Ideas For Batch Cooking
If you think you might benefit from batch cooking, here are some staples I cook every weekend. They don’t require hours in the kitchen, and they make for super quick and nutritious meals when I just don’t have time to cook (which is surprisingly often these days!)
- Quinoa
- Brown Rice
- Farro
- Barley
- Black Beans
- Chickpeas
- Pinto Beans
I simply keep these in containers and make meals with them all week long. It’s a fantastic way to eat nutritiously as well as budget-friendly.
What Nutritional Benefits Does This Recipe Give You?
- Red bell peppers – Tons of vitamin C and B6 as well as antioxidants.
- Tomatoes – Lycopene (an antioxidant), vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K.
- Black olives – Lots of healthy fats, vitamin E, and flavonoids. They also seem to have anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Black beans – Lots of fiber and potassium as well as vitamin B6.
- Avocado – Lots of good-for-you, healthy fats, as well as more potassium than bananas!
- Quinoa – Lots of protein (all 9 amino acids!), fiber, iron, and magnesium.
- Lime – Tons of vitamin C and antioxidants.
- Parsley – A vitamin-rich diuretic containing vitamins A, B, C, and K.
- Cilantro – Vitamins A and K, as well as potassium
More Healthy Quinoa Recipes
Southwestern Quinoa Bowl Recipe Card
Southwestern Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ⅓ cup cooked black beans
- ⅓ cup chopped red bell peppers
- ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes
- ⅓ cup sliced black olives
- ½ cup chopped avocado
- 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh cilantro or parsley
- ½ medium lime (squeeze liberally over dish at serving)
- ¼ cup your favorite clean salsa (optional, but delicious)
Instructions
- Place the quinoa in a bowl and layer on all the other ingredients.
- Stir to combine and enjoy.