This bowl has a little bit of something for everyone. For starters, it couldn’t get much healthier. Quinoa is chock full of health benefits. Same with black beans. It’s full of fresh seasonal ingredients (like fresh herbs and peaches), and only requires a bit of stovetop cooking. Just under 15 minutes to cook this quinoa! You couldn’t get too much faster than that. Plus, it’s fun to say (KEEN-wah). I have a feeling kids might find this uber-nutritious grain something of a novelty. (I know I would have. It’s kind of like a natural funfetti.)
But the best part, at least to me, was that while it only took about 30 minutes to prepare, it was totally delicious! There’s a lot going on here – sweet peaches, spicy jalapenos, crunchy green onions, savory beans, fluffy quinoa…the mix of tastes and textures kept us coming back for more!
This is a wonderful option for a quick summer weeknight meal. But don’t stop there! It would be perfect for guests – pair it with a salad (and perhaps this dessert?). I’m already thinking of trying a version with sweet potatoes or butternut squash for the winter.
You can get pretty creative on this one – let us know if you give your own “bowl of goodness” a try!
- 2 cups quinoa
- 1 recipe peach salsa
- 2 cans black beans
- 4 green onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Place 2 cups quinoa in a saucepan with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot, and simmer where the water is just bubbling for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed. (Check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains.) Turn off the heat and let sit covered to steam for about 5 minutes. Cover and leave warm in the pan until serving.
- While the quinoa cooks,make the peach salsa.
- Drain and rinse the beans. Chop 4 green onions. In a bowl, stir together beans and onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon cumin,1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Taste, then add more seasonings if desired.
- To server, dish the quinoa into bowls, then top with the black bean mixture and peach salsa.
23 Comments
Marla
July 25, 2011 at 5:05 pmLove all of the flavors in this sweet/savory quinoa!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
July 25, 2011 at 5:47 pmThe peach salsa sounds like a great addition to this dish! I made Peach BBQ sauce today – peaches are everywhere!!
Kirstin
July 25, 2011 at 5:48 pmThis sounds amazingly fresh and wonderful! We really like quinoa
Susie
July 26, 2011 at 12:58 amThis looks super tasty. I love the flavor combination.
Elizabeth
July 26, 2011 at 9:45 amMade this last night, it was excellent!
Laura
July 26, 2011 at 4:38 pmJust tried this recipe today and LOVED IT!
Great blog as well! so nice to have come across a GOOD meatless blog :) thanks.
Bewtiching
August 1, 2011 at 11:06 pmAmazing. Just made it and it might be one of the best things I have had in too long, and good for me!
I topped mine with a avocado, and threw in some left over sweet corn with the black beans!
Thanks for a great recipe and love the blog!
Sonja
August 2, 2011 at 10:27 amOh, those sound like great additions! So glad you enjoyed it!! :)
Kirstin
August 9, 2011 at 2:55 pmI made this last week and it went over well! Especially the peach salsa…I’m sharing it today on my blog and I’ll be sure to link back here and give you lots of kudo’s! I love your blog by the way!!
Sonja
August 9, 2011 at 9:59 pmThank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it — looks great! :)
Lynett Oliver
August 13, 2011 at 11:51 amMade this last night for Game Night. Since it’s a snacking type of affair, I turned this bowl into a salad & just mixed everything together. I wound up with about half the quinoa left over, which is fine cuz I’m making ratatouille later & I’ll just serve it with that. The salad was a huge it & everyone asked for the recipe. I’m already imagining all the other possibilities of quinoa bowls. Thanks for such a great idea!
Sonja
August 13, 2011 at 3:43 pmWonderful — I’m so glad it worked out! Good idea with saving the quinoa separately — we did find that the leftovers of this dish weren’t nearly as good as fresh :)
Aimee
August 13, 2011 at 5:01 pmI made this for dinner a couple of nights ago and it was delish! Also made your bean flautas–another hit! I have to say, your recipes are spot on. Thanks more great ideas.
Sonja
August 14, 2011 at 8:20 amWonderful! So glad you enjoyed them – it’s always fun to know what people have made (and that they liked it too!)!
[email protected]
August 16, 2011 at 9:00 amI made this last night and I loved it. I subbed in nectarines with a pinch of sugar since that is what we had at our house. I’m bringing leftovers for lunch today at work and I’m already excited to eat them. :)
cathy
August 18, 2011 at 1:51 pmI made this last week, this is sooo delicious. So good, I’m making it again tonight.
anna maria
September 28, 2011 at 7:35 pmLOVE this! I have made many variations since making this one and use your method for cooking the quinoa every time. It never fails :)
Nicole
July 5, 2012 at 5:51 amHello,
Just looking for clarification on the size of the cans of beans. Is it two 19oz cans?
Alex
July 5, 2012 at 7:38 amTwo 15oz cans (or about 3 cups).
Jennifer Biddle
July 30, 2012 at 8:59 pmDelicious for the whole family. Used as a side and will have it for lunch the rest of the week (maybe with more peaches if they all ripen at once!). I glanced at the salsa recipe but just threw everything together with the ingredients I had. I added a tablespoon of honey and a few tablespoons of yogurt to the mix. Keep the whole dish moist and improves leftover mileage. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to finding more great ideas in your blog!
Lynn
January 27, 2013 at 8:41 amI love Quinoa, and look forward to trying this dish. One question. Do you wash your quinoa until the sudsing stops first? I find that this improves the flavor greatly, removing the bitter saponins. For those who don’t know, a warm water wash (I soak between drainings for about 5 minutes) about 5 or 6 times removes a lot of the bitterness.
Sonja
January 27, 2013 at 6:49 pmHi Lynn! We’ve never tried this method, but it sounds interesting! We’ll keep it in mind for the next time. How many rinse / soak cycles would you say is bare minimum (in case we are in a rush :) )?
Jenny
April 23, 2014 at 5:45 pmThank you for sharing your Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl Recipe. We featured it on our blog this week! http://www.thehappygal.com/20-quinoa-recipes-love/