Tex-Mex Quinoa
This Tex-Mex Quinoa is delicious and healthy. It’s full of flavor, not to mention it’s a filling and satisfying dish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed, see Notes
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, lower sodium
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, see Notes
- 12 ounces frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed
- 15 ounces can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, or other neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, hot or mild
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the stock in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Placing a lid on your saucepan will allow the stock to come to a boil quicker.
- While the stock is coming up to a boil, make the dressing: In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk all the dressing ingredients together. Taste for saltiness, tang from the lime juice, and any spice you’d like to adjust. Your quinoa is going to soak this up, so it needs to taste really flavorful. Set the dressing aside until ready to use.
- Once the stock has reached a boil, lower the heat to low setting and stir in the rinsed quinoa. Add the salt, stir, and bring to a simmer. See Notes on salt.
- Cover and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Scrape the quinoa into a large serving bowl and allow to cool to almost room temperature, gently stirring occasionally to help it cool faster.
- To the quinoa add corn, beans, peppers, onion, and cilantro. Gently toss all the ingredients together.
- Give the dressing another good stir and add to the quinoa and toss gently to disperse the dressing throughout. Taste the quinoa and adjust salt and lime juice. If time allows, let the quinoa’s flavors meld together for about 20 minutes. Stir, taste, and adjust any seasoning as needed. * Note – this dressing is meant to be enough to be absorbed into the quinoa. There won’t be any dressing sitting in the bottom of your bowl. The quinoa will remain fluffy.
- The quinoa can be served at room temperature or covered and chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It keeps refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Salt – Chicken stock brands will vary as far as sodium content, so be sure to taste the stock before you add the quinoa to see how much salt you really need. You’d hate to overdo it with no redemption.
Corn – You could use a can of corn here if that’s what you have on hand, but I would definitely drain the can very well, even give it a quick rinse. I like the frozen sweet corn. I make sure the bag says “sweet.” It can be bland if it’s just labeled “corn.” Allow frozen corn to thaw before adding to your quinoa. Or, use a fresh cob or two and shave the kernels off after cooking.
Beans – Here you could change things up a bit. Red beans would be good in this, too. Chickpeas would be good, but give a little different flavor than the black beans. Drain and RINSE the canned beans before you add them to the quinoa. You want to get the starchy liquid off the beans, and if you didn’t drain them, it would change the consistency of the quinoa. I empty my can of beans into a small colander and run them under water until the water runs clear and then give them a little shake to get any last water off.
Peppers – any color bell pepper would be good and colorful here. The red peppers seem to be sweeter than the other varieties. Of course, that could just be my experience. A ¼” dice works well in this recipe. If you chop your veggies about the same size, it allows you to get a variety of veggies on each forkful!
Cilantro – Love the stuff! It’s delicious in this dish, and you can add as much or as little as you like. I used a packed 1/3 cup, but I would definitely add a little more to my own bowl.
Chipotle pepper (ground) – I love the smokiness and heat of this chile. The recipe calls for the powder form, but you can certainly use some of the adobo sauce and chiles from a can of chipotles. Adding from the can instead of ground chipotle will add some extra heat, so be sure that’s what you’re up for.
White pepper – this is becoming one of my favorite basic seasonings. It has a little bit more complexity to its flavor than black pepper. You’ll find that Asian dishes use white pepper more than black. I personally like the uniqueness of the white pepper, and how it is used in certain dishes to accentuate the food. Try it and see what you think.
Kosher salt – I use kosher salt in all my cooking. You’ll see it listed in most all my recipes. It is less salty than regular iodized table salt. Its texture is easy to pinch and control when adding to dishes.
Lime juice – Fresh is better, but bottled juice will work just fine here. This ingredient is key in this dish. Taste as you go. Taste the dressing for the tang of the lime juice. Taste the final dish before you serve. I found that I sprinkled another teaspoon or two before I served the quinoa, just personal preference.
Avocado – If you love it, add it! Dice and add just before serving the quinoa or you’ll end up with mushy brown diced avocado which is totally unappetizing. You want the bright green and creaminess of the avocado to shine through, so don’t chop it too early.
Nutrition Facts
Tex-Mex Quinoa
Amount per Serving
Calories
326.41
% Daily Value*
Fat
16.26
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
1.9
g
12
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
3.12
g
Monounsaturated Fat
10.27
g
Cholesterol
0.14
mg
0
%
Sodium
643.12
mg
28
%
Potassium
446.71
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
37.08
g
12
%
Fiber
6.1
g
25
%
Sugar
2.75
g
3
%
Protein
9.06
g
18
%
Vitamin C
31.88
mg
39
%
Calcium
36.55
mg
4
%
Iron
2.72
mg
15
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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