Last Updated on February 8, 2021 by Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
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This easy to make, delicious Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa bowl is a hearty meatless meal loaded with flavourful and healthy ingredients.
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Quinoa is one of my favourite ingredients to incorporate into my family's diet. It's full of complete proteins, a plethora of minerals as well as vitamins and fibre (read here for more on the health benefits of quinoa).
Quinoa is incredibly versatile and is delicious with so many different ingredients. I also love using quinoa flour and use it often to bake delicious muffins and cookies.
This savoury dish combines quinoa with aromatic ingredients such as onions, garlic, and jalapeño. Sweet potato and black beans get added to complete the dish and add texture, flavour and nutrition.
The result is a delicious, hearty and satisfying vegetarian meal (even vegan if you omit the cheese).
How to Make Quinoa with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
Though this recipe involves a bit of chopping, it comes together easily and quickly. If you chop the ingredients while you're cooking the quinoa you could have this meal ready in just over 30 minutes. In my book, that makes it perfect for a weeknight meal.
To make this sweet potato and black bean quinoa even more flavourful, I add a bit of the spices I use in this dish to the water I cook the quinoa in. This really increases the flavour factor and ensures that every bite is super tasty.
For convenience, I use canned black beans. Make sure to rinse the beans well and drain them before adding them to the skillet.
If you like the taste of cilantro, you could sprinkle some roughly chopped leaves before serving.
How to Serve it:
This dish can easily be served as a main but is also lovely served as a side dish. It goes well with this Roast Chicken or this Easy Roast Turkey. Serve this quinoa dish with fresh lime wedges and crumbled goat or feta cheese for some added zing.
Leftovers can be warmed and enjoyed in tacos, or as tortilla wraps. You could also use this Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa as the filling for a burritos dish.
More Delicious Quinoa Recipes
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
- Whole Wheat Quinoa Flour Pancakes
- Mini Chocolate Quinoa Crunch Cups
- Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you make this recipe let me know how it went for you in the comment section below. I'd love to know if you made any variations to the recipe and how it worked out. And if you take a picture, share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa
Ingredients
For the Quinoa:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cumin
- ¼ tsp. coriander
- ¼ tsp. chili powder
For the Sweet Potato and Black Beans:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 clove medium garlic
- 1 jalapeño deseeded and membrane removed
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. coriander
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 ½ cups sweet potato cubed small to medium dice
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup cooked black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 lime cut into wedges (for serving on the side)
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro (plus extra for serving on the side, optional)
- Crumbled goat or feta cheese (for serving on the side optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander with cold water. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the water, salt, cumin, chili and coriander. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan leaving the lid slightly ajar and simmer until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat but leave it covered.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, the garlic and jalapeño.
- Chop the sweet potato into a small-medium dice.
- Over medium heat, heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and cook a couple of minutes until the onions begin to soften, stir and add the garlic and jalapeño. Cook for a couple of minutes or until softened and add the salt and spices, give it all a good stir.
- Add the sweet potatoes and water to the skillet, simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on the water level in the skillet and the doneness of the sweet potatoes. If the water is absorbed before the potatoes are cooked to your liking add ¼ cup of water and continue to simmer.
- Once the potatoes are cooked thru add the black beans to warm them.
- To finish add the cooked quinoa, cilantro and adjust the salt to your taste.
- Serve wedges of lime, crumbled goat or feta cheese and extra chopped cilantro on the side.
Notes
- This dish will make 4 full servings or 6 side servings.
- The cheese is optional and not included in the calculation of the nutrition facts.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January 2016. It has been updated with new content.
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RozieLand says
I will definitely make this tomorrow! Thanks for sharing!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
My pleasure, hope you enjoy it!
HapaNomNom says
Great idea to add some of the spices to the cooking water - double up on that awesome flavor! I always love when you can have a dish that's healthy, delicious, and filling - it's like the perfect trifecta!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
I completely agree, wish it could always be that way!
Noel Williams ...www.klassicportraits.com...www.photopincher.com says
This dish looks fantastic. Yummy, yummy, yummy!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks so much Noel, so happy you like it!
nancyc says
This dish looks so good and I love how colorful and healthy it is!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Nancy! I agree, I love the brightness of the sweet potato, makes the dish come to life and it's so good.
apuginthekitchen says
That is a gorgeous bowl of goodness. Your photo is just beautiful as well. I have never been able to successfully make quinoa, weird right. I usually end up subbing a grain like farro or something. Not sure why I am challenged when it comes to quinoa. Love how this recipe sounds.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks Suzanne! Actually, funny thing I have the same issue but with rice, it's hit and miss with me! I think the problem might be the quantity of water, I think it's better to be conservative with the water, you could always add more water if the quinoa isn't cooked (once the water is all absorbed).
Louise Crosby says
So healthy and so beautiful! This looks fantastic!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Thanks so much Louise!