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Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing is an incredibly delicious grain bowl. It is healthy and full of healthy veggies and has yummy Tex-Mex flavor. This quinoa bowl recipe is perfect for a weekend lunch, or make it the day before for a satisfying and delicious work lunch.
Originally published 8/12/17
Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing
Grain Bowls are super popular. We used to call it “Rice Salad” back in the day. We hadn’t discovered quinoa yet! This is a super flavorful quinoa recipe with a stellar cilantro dressing!
Quinoa is a wonderfully versatile . I love it in soups, and mixed with rice, with gravy, in salads, and grain bowls, of course!
Nowadays Quinoa is considered a Superfood. It has a lot of protein and other great nutrients in it. It is technically not a grain, but a seed, but let’s not split hairs. It’s delicious, healthy and versatile!
Quinoa used to be hard to find, and was just in health food stores. Now you can find it just about everywhere!
The Cilantro Dressing takes this Southwest Quinoa Bowl over the edge of flavor amazingness!
You will have leftover dressing, and I encourage you to use it for dipping my Sweet Potato Steak Fries in. Or save it for tacos!
Is Quinoa easy to cook?
Yes it is! It is cooked similar to rice, and is very simple:
Boil water, add well-rinsed quinoa, put lid on. Cook for 15 minutes, then let it sit off of the heat for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork. Easy!
Why is Quinoa Sometimes Bitter Tasting?
That is because the quinoa wasn’t rinsed prior to cooking it.
Quinoa has a naturally occurring coating called Saponin. It is like quinoa’s natural bug repellent! It tastes either kind of bitter, or like soap.
- Luckily the saponin rinses off easily.
- Put your quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and immerse it in a bowl of cool water and let it sit there in the water for a few minutes. Drain. Then add the rinsed quinoa to the recipe as directed.
- Or just rinse it very well and drain it and it’s ready to cook.
Easy Instant Pot Quinoa
Instant Pot Quinoa Taco Bowls
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Caprese Orzo Salad
If you make this easy quinoa bowl recipe, please leave a comment below with a star rating and let me know how you liked it!
Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing
Ingredients
Quinoa
- ½ cup Quinoa, well rinsed
- 1 cup Water
- Pinch of Salt
Cilantro Dressing
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¾ cup Sour Cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 1 clove Garlic
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- Handful of Fresh Cilantro Leaves, rinsed & chopped
The Salad
- ½ Ripe Avocado, mashed
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Squeeze of Lime Juice
- ¼ cup Corn Kernels, (fresh, froze, or canned)
- ⅛ Red Onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Black Beans, canned, rinsed & drained
- ½ Roasted Red Pepper, sliced
Garnish
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Cotija Cheese
Instructions
Prepare Quinoa
- Add rinsed quinoa, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.½ cup Quinoa,, 1 cup Water, Pinch of Salt
- Take the pan off of heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Quinoa is done when it looks translucent and you can see the germ (the little sprout).
- Set aside to cool.
Make the Dressing
- Add dressing ingredients to a mini food processor and pulse several times, until ingredients are well chopped and blended.¼ cup Mayonnaise, ¾ cup Sour Cream, 1 clove Garlic, Pinch of Salt, Pinch of Pepper, Handful of Fresh Cilantro Leaves,
Assemble the Bowl
- When Quinoa has cooled (you can serve it warm, but I don’t recommend hot), transfer to a bowl.
- Mash the avocado with the salt and lime juice. Place in bowl with quinoa.½ Ripe Avocado,, Pinch of Salt, 1 Squeeze of Lime Juice
- Add the corn, onion, black beans, and roasted red pepper to the bowl.¼ cup Corn Kernels,, ⅛ Red Onion,, ¼ cup Black Beans,, ½ Roasted Red Pepper,
- Drizzle with the cilantro dressing and garnish with sliced jalapeño and cotija cheese, or as desired.Sliced Jalapeño, Cotija Cheese
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled for more servings or for meal prep.
- Store unassembled in the fridge if making ahead (quinoa having been cooked).
- Assembled salad can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pin This Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing Recipe
This salad bowl was so delicious and filling! Oh my goodness, that cilantro dressing! My favorite of the year!
Hi Gail! It’s one of my very favorites, too! So many flavors going on, and it’s healthy!
This looks soooo good- love it as a nice hearty lunch that will actually keep my full until dinner time. Definitely saving!
Thanks Karly! It is so delicious, and it will definitely fill you up!