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Vegan Mexican Quinoa Bowl
These vegan Mexican quinoa bowls have become a weekly staple in our house. Below are some of the reasons why.
- They’re naturally vegan, but full of flavor from the avocado tahini, and spicy chipotle tahini sauce.
- These bowls are also a great and flavorful option for those that are on the candida diet.
- These bowls are jam packed with plant protein, as quinoa is a complete protein, and beans when paired with the quinoa, make a complete protein too.
- These bowls are balanced and satisfying from the slow burning carbs, healthy fats, plant protein, and will honestly sustain you for hours.
- These bowls are a great weeknight meatless dinner option, as I typically make the sauces ahead of time, (they literally take 5 minutes) so when it comes to dinner time, all I have to do is make the quinoa (takes under 20 minutes) and roast the sweet potatoes.
- Don’t be intimated by all the ingredients listed, as most of them are panty staples.
If you love Mexican flavors paired with quinoa, then you need to try 2 of my other favorites.
One pan Mexican quinoa wraps. These wraps are so awesome for the below reasons.
- They can be made in roughly 30-35 minutes, making them the perfect weeknight dinner! Yippee!
- Everything is cooked together in one-skillet! Yes, you heard me right, one-skillet cooking baby!
- These wraps are kid approved.
- You can be totally creative and add different combinations and veggies to make them unique!
- The leftovers are amazing and make the perfect lunch!
- These wraps are a great & healthy meatless Monday dinner option and are gluten free to boot!
These vegan Mexican quinoa bowls were inspired by this quinoa wrap with black beans, feta and avocado. What makes this wrap so good? Well, you take my favorite avocado-tahini dip, mix it in with some quinoa, black beans, a bit of melted Monterey jack and feta, throw in some sliced avocado, some spinach leaves, and wrap it all in a whole-grain tortilla, and oh my goodness, you have yourself one amazing wrap that’s not only healthy, but full of flavor. Believe it or not, my kids LOVE this wrap. The avocado-tahini dip adds so much flavor to the quinoa that my kids don’t even realize they’re eating quinoa.
Vegan Mexican Quinoa Bowl
4
servingsThese bowls are jam packed with plant protein, as quinoa is a complete protein, and beans when paired with the quinoa, make a complete protein too. Don't be scared by all the below ingredients, as these sauces take 5 minutes to make, and the sweet potatoes and quinoa take under 30 minutes. Most of the ingredients are pantry ingredients as well.
Ingredients
- Avocado Tahini Sauce
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
⅓ cup well stirred tahini - make sure this is a level cup, as too much tahini will overpower the dip
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
¼ cup filtered water
- Spicy Chipotle Tahini Sauce
1/4 cup well stirred tahini - I love this traditional tahini from SoCo
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1-2 tablespoons filtered water
- Spicy Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into even sized cubes - feel free to keep the skins on the sweet potatoes to save time, fiber and nutrients
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, if you don't like things too spicy, you can use regular chili powder, or 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder.
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- The Quinoa Bowl Stuff
Cooked quinoa - see my post on how to perfectly cook quinoa
Black beans, drained and rinsed - I love these beans from Jovial, and these ones from Eden, as they are pre-soaked, which helps with digestion.
1 avocado, sliced
Directions
Avocado Tahini Sauce
Combine the avocado, 1/3 cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 2 tablespoons minced cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a mini prep or food processor, and puree until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides one or two times so that everything gets mixed in. The mixture will be pretty thick and chunky at this point.
Add in the ¼ cup water and puree again until blended and smooth. The water helps to get the dip to a creamier consistency. Feel free to add a bit more water to get the sauce to a consistency that you like. I found that using ¼ cup, or a splash more was perfect.
The sauce can be stored in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This sauce can also be used as a dip for chips or veggies.
Spicy Chipotle Tahini Sauce
Note: This sauce is spicy, so if you're not into spicy sauces, then you don't have to make, or use this in the bowls.
To a small bowl add the 1/4 cup tahini, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon chipotle power, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, whisk to combine.
Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you've reached the desired consistency. I loved the consistency of the sauce with 2 tablespoons.
This sauce can be stored in a well sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also use this sauce as a dip, top it on tacos or your favorite burger, you name it. It's delish!
For the Spicy Sweet Potatoes
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and get out a rimmed baking sheet.
Put scrubbed and diced sweet potatoes into a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the mixture to the sweet potatoes, and toss to combine, making sure to coat each sweet potato cube.
Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast sweet potatoes in the oven, flipping once about halfway, until fork tender, roughly 20 minutes. They will brown up quickly due to the spices, so be sure to check them at the 15 minute mark. They'll be fork tender when they're done.
Build The Bowls
Add some quinoa to a bowl, top it with some sweet potatoes, black beans, sliced avocado and a big dollop of the avocado tahini sauce and smaller dollop of the spicy chipotle tahini sauce, and mix to combine. Most of the time I mix the avocado tahini sauce with the ingredients, and then top my bowl with bit of the spicy chipotle tahini sauce, as a little of this sauce goes a long way.
I also like to pre-mix my quinoa with both sauces to taste and then add the potatoes, beans and avocado, but you do you! These bowls may not look pretty when they're all combined, but they taste amazing!
Notes
- These bowls are a great weeknight meatless dinner option, as I typically make the sauces ahead of time, (they literally take 5 minutes) so when it comes to dinner time, all I have to do is make the quinoa (takes under 20 minutes) and roast the sweet potatoes.
- You could also turn these into wraps, but folding the above ingredients into a tortilla.
- Feel free to use regular roasted sweet potatoes if the above combination is too spicy. Also, feel free to add shredded chicken if you don't want to make these vegan.
- I love the avocado tahini sauce as a dip for chips and veggies.
- Use the spicy chipotle sauce for your next burger or tacos. It's so versatile. It's my new go-to burger topping and dip for roasted sweet potato fries.
- FACT: 1 cup of quinoa provides 8 grams of complete protein & 1/2 cup of black beans has 8 grams of protein. The black beans become a complete protein when paired with the quinoa.
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- Recipe | Candida Friendly | Dairy Free | Dinner | Gluten Free | Kid Approved | Lunch | Marin Mama Faves | Vegan | Vegetarian | Weeknight Meals
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Dairy free green goddess dressing. This is my dairy free, vegan take on a green goddess dressing. I wanted to create a tasty dairy free version, while focusing on keeping the ingredients ultra clean, so I used a coconut based yogurt @cocojune_organic that doesn’t contain gums, or other ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Comment “green” and I’ll DM you the recipe link.
The result, we love this dressing and have been making it on repeat. I love how creamy and vibrant this dressing is and how it coats each piece of lettuce. I also love how interchangeable the herbs are. You can truly use what you have on hand.
This dressing isn’t just for salads, you can use as a dip for veggies, sweet potato fries, or drizzle over grilled or roasted chicken. The possibilities are endless. 💕
#greengoddessdressing #greengoddesssalad #greengoddess #healthyfood #saladdressing #dairyfreesalad #dairyfreerecipes #vegandressing #vegansalad #salad #healthysalad #healthysalads
I want to share with you guys a simple lesson about reading ingredients. Here’s my favorite brand of coconut milk, Native Forest. As you can see, they have 2 kinds of the full fat unsweetened coconut milk, one is called simple, and one is classic. The difference here is in the ingredients, one contains guar gum and one doesn’t.
You really want to look at the labels and the ingredients, and not just trust the brand is the same across all products.
I love this Native Forest, Simple, because again it clearly states no quars, and if you look in the ingredients, you’ll see organic coconut milk, organic coconut, filtered water. Simple whole food ingredients, no added fillers, gums, or flavors. You always want to look for a BPA free cans and the USDA organic stamp, which means its certified organic, so there’s no GMO’s, pesticides etc.
What is guar gum, and why is it bad?
Guar gum, which is derived from the guar bean is a thickening agent that can wreak havoc on your digestive system by causing bloating, gas, and discomfort. It can disrupt the delicate balance of your gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and impaired nutrient absorption. It’s also seen a lot in non-dairy creamers or milks.
Was this helpful? If so, let me know in the comments below, 👇 as well as what else you would like to see, or know more about?
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Comment ‘easy buckwheat’ and I’ll send you the recipe.
This buckwheat porridge is SO EASY to make, and is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan to boot, and the bonus is it takes under 15 minutes to whip up in the morning.
This breakfast is hubby approved. Steve tried this the other day and kept saying, “this is the best breakfast,” “man, this is SO good.” So if I can get my mountain biking, carb loving hubby to happily eat of bowl of this, then I think your family might love this too.
I love topping mine with blueberries, @socotahini and bee pollen!
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Rosemary & thyme turkey burgers. These are not your typical dry turkey burgers. The rosemary and thyme paired with the sautéed red onion give these burgers a pop of flavor, and the Dijon and avocado oil pump up the moisture. These burgers are also gluten-free and dairy-free.
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I love topping these burgers on a big green salad and pairing them with my oven roasted sweet potato fries. Delish! #turkeyburger #turkeyburgers #burger #dairyfreeglutenfree #burgers #healthyfood
These vegan Mexican quinoa bowls have become a weekly staple in our house. They’re naturally vegan, but are full of flavor from the avocado tahini, and spicy chipotle tahini sauce.
Comment ‘vegan bowl’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.
These bowls are also great for those that are on the candida diet.
I ❤️ these bowls because they’re jam packed with plant protein, as quinoa is a complete protein, and beans when paired with the quinoa, make a complete protein too. This bowl is balanced and satisfying from the slow burning carbs, healthy fats, plant protein, and will honestly sustain you for hours.
These bowls are a great weeknight meatless dinner option, as I typically make the sauces ahead of time, (they literally take 5 minutes) so when it comes to dinner time, all I have to do is make the quinoa (takes under 20 minutes) and roast the sweet potatoes. I hope you give these a try, and that they become a go-to meatless dinner.
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Hi Jackie…
I love your recipes..I mostly read all your info, depending on my crazy day!!! I also love the videos.. your energy is contagious!!
Keep it all coming!!
I still make a variation of your quinoa patties.. most requested snack from my grandkids°
Hi Gloria! Thank you for taking the time to comment! You’ve been with me on this journey for a long time, and I appreciate you! Ok, I will try and post more videos and still share some info before the recipe. Thanks for your feedback. SO funny, I’ve been thinking about how to re-create those quinoa patties, so maybe I’ll play with the recipe a bit, but will still keep the classic recipe there as well.
xoxo, Jackie
Most of the time I jump to recipe to see ingredients and to gauge the time involved. If I decide to make it I’ll go back and read. Videos are helpful. I like a balance but am attempting more meatless meals. And am GF due to Hashimotos diagnoses. I love the freshness of your recipes.
Hi Lynn, Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it. 🙂 I also appreciate understanding what readers are eating, and any dietary restrictions they have. This website is primarily GF, (not the older recipes) but since 2019. We’re also trying to reduce animal protein in our house, so I’m working on creating more vegan, as well as GF recipes, so stay tuned. xoxo, Jackie