Black Bean, Rice, Quinoa & Avocado Bowl
Fresh, incredibly flavourful black bean bowl!
This black bean, rice and quinoa bowl is perfect if you have ripe avocados on hand. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. Consider it done as soon as the quinoa and rice is cooked! Serve warm tonight and leftovers are great for lunches the next day, no need to reheat!
The lime dressing is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy.
Black Bean, Quinoa, Rice and Avocado Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 19 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch garlic powder Very small pinch. Adjust carefully to taste
- 3 cups cooked rice white, brown or wild (1 cup uncooked yields 3 cups cooked)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa 3/4 cups uncooked will yield 2 cups cooked)
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 green or yellow pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 avocadoes diced
Lime Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar apple cider vinegar can be substituted
- 1/4 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Maple syrup white sugar or honey can be substituted, though the recipe will no longer be vegan
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
Instructions
Black Beans
- Heat oil in space saucepan over medium heat. Sauté beans with chilli powder, paprika, garlic powder and salt for 5 minutes.
Rice and Quinoa
- Cook each in separate saucepans according to package directions.
Lime Dressing
- Whisk olive oil, vinegar, lime, maple syrup, garlic, salt, pepper until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, quinoa, beans, peppers and onions. Add desired amount of dressing. Top with sliced avocado and serve.
My husband and I have an agreement. An understanding if you will. I will eat quinoa, as long as avocados are included in the dish. To each their own, really. For me though, plain straight up quinoa is a no go.
A quick tip to make this super quick meal even quicker: Make extra rice and quinoa, when you need these ingredients to complete other meals. That way, you will have these 2 ingredients on hand, and all you need to do is sauté a can of beans, make the dressing, and chop up the veggies.
This black bean, quinoa, rice and avocado bowl taste great when still warm and also makes for a delicious cold lunch the next day, perfect for taking to work. Given the added peppers and onions, I do not recommend reheating. The trick to having a great lunch the next day is to always make a little extra dressing, because the grains will inevitably soak up a the flavour as it sits in the fridge overnight.
The bowl is quite filling, thanks to the grains and beans and quinoa and beans are a great sources of protein.
If the veggies fail to provide a suitable amount of ‘crunch’ for you, serve with tortilla chips, crostinis or crackers! The last time we made this black bean, quinoa, rice and avocado bowl, I made some little crostinis with a leftover baguette.