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Southwestern Quinoa

This quinoa dish is loaded with southwestern flavor! It is a healthy dish makes a perfect lunch or dinner.

By Michelle••Main Dishes
Southwestern Quinoa
Prep Time10 min
Cook Time20 min
Servings4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 jalapeno (seeded and minced )
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • 1 red bell pepper (chopped )
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced )
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed )
  • 1 can diced tomatos (drained )
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 lime (juiced )
  • Avocado (optional)
  • sour cream (optional)
  • cilantro (optional )

Instructions

  1. 1Combine quinoa and vegetable stock in a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
  2. 2In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pepper, jalapeño, onion, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion has softened.
  3. 3Mix in the corn, tomato, beans, chili powder, and cumin. Allow to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  4. 4In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with the vegetable mixture. Stir in the lime juice.
  5. 5Top with avocado, sour cream, and/or cilantro.

This quinoa dish is loaded with southwestern flavor! It is a healthy dish that makes a perfect lunch or dinner.


Start by preparing the quinoa: In a medium sized pot, combine the quinoa with chicken broth and bring to a boil.  As soon as the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

In the past, I have also made this with vegetable broth. Although I didn’t find it to be as flavorful, it still tastes amazing and is a great alternative to make this dish vegetarian!

While the quinoa is cooking, chop the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño into small pieces.  In a pan with some olive oil, cook the onion, pepper, jalapeño, and garlic for a few minutes, until the onion has softened.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin to the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat for a few more minutes, until the mixture is hot and the seasoning is well mixed.

I usually just add the corn frozen, so I use the corn to determine when the mixture is ready.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, lime juice, and vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper and then serve with your choice of avocado, sour cream, and/or cilantro.

The leftovers are just as good! Try doubling the recipe to have extra for lunches 🙂