Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing is an incredible quinoa bowl. It is healthy and full of 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 one of my favorite “newer” foods. 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 quinoa, put lid on. Cook for 15 minutes, then let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes! Easy!
Why is quinoa sometimes bitter tasting?
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- 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.
- Let it sit there in the water for a few minutes.
- Then rinse it very well and drain it and it’s ready to cook.
Easy Instant Pot Quinoa
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If you make this easy quinoa bowl recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it!

Southwest Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Dressing is a hearty healthy grain bowl packed with amazing flavors! So easy to put together, and you will love the dressing!
- 1/2 cup Quinoa
- 1 cup Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/2 Ripe Avocado, mashed
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Squeeze of Lime Juice
- 1/4 cup Corn Kernels, (fresh, froze, or canned)
- 1/8 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Black Beans, canned, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 Roasted Red Pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup Mayonaise
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 1 clove Garlic
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- Handful of Fresh Cilantro Leaves, rinsed & chopped
- Sliced Jalapeño
- Cotija Cheese
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Add quinoa, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
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Take pan off of heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
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Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Quinoa is done when it looks translucent and you can see the germ (the little sprout).
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Set aside to cool.
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Add dressing ingredients to a mini food processor and pulse several times, until ingredients are well chopped and blended.
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When Quinoa has cooled (you can serve it warm, but I don’t recommend hot), transfer to a bowl.
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Mash the avocado with the salt and lime juice. Place in bowl with quinoa.
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Add the corn, onion, black beans, and roasted red pepper to the bowl.
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Drizzle with the cilantro dressing and garnish as desired.
RESOURCES TO MAKE this recipe and more
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Gail
This salad bowl was so delicious and filling! Oh my goodness, that cilantro dressing! My favorite of the year!
Sandy
Hi Gail! It’s one of my very favorites, too! So many flavors going on, and it’s healthy!
Karly
This looks soooo good- love it as a nice hearty lunch that will actually keep my full until dinner time. Definitely saving!
Sandy
Thanks Karly! It is so delicious, and it will definitely fill you up!