Hi Everyone! It’s Danae from Recipe Runner. Happy 2015! I know it’s already the middle of the month, but the last time I had the chance to share a recipe with you here on Katie’s beautiful blog we were at the height of the holiday season. I’m sure many of you, myself included, have some nutrition goals in mind for the new year. One of mine is to incorporate a meatless meal into the mix once a week and these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls are helping me do that!
These vegetarian bowls have a lot of things going for them that make eating a meatless meal less of a struggle. The problem I have with a lot of vegetarian meals is that there isn’t enough protein in them to keep me full for more than an hour. Sure I love salads, but if that’s all I eat I guarantee I’ll be raiding the fridge shortly after looking for something more to fill me up.
These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls are primarily made up of those three main ingredients and then seasoned with some southwest spices. The black beans and quinoa add a good amount of protein to the meatless meal which will help keep us full much longer than say a bowl of pasta. The sweet potato adds in a good amount of healthy carbs, not to mention they are loaded with vitamins. I seasoned both the sweet potato and quinoa with a combination of chili powder and cumin, and there is a generous amount of cilantro in the bowls because I seriously can’t get enough of the stuff! After a lot of debate on how to prepare the sweet potato I decided to roast it in the oven. Roasting vegetables brings out such wonderful flavor and sweetness in them. I know it takes a little longer, but for this the timing was perfect since it took the same amount of time to cook the quinoa.
Since the bowls were looking a little one note in the color department and because they needed a little something cool and creamy to take the edge off the heat from the chili powder, I decided to top them with the most glorious cilantro cream drizzle. The base of the drizzle is plain Greek yogurt which I then flavored with cilantro, fresh lime juice, a pinch of garlic and chili powder, and a little agave nectar for sweetness. The drizzle is completely healthy, but you feel like you are getting something extra special! If adding a meatless meal or just a delicious healthy meal is part of your nutrition goals for this year, then I highly recommend you give these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls a try!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
- Toss the diced sweet potato in the olive oil and spices and lay it out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the sweet potato for 12-15 minutes or until it is fork tender.
- Rinse and drain the red quinoa then put it in a medium sized sauce pan with the water and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then cover it with a lid and lower the heat to medium low. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove quinoa from the heat and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, lime juice, and cilantro.
- In a blender add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- In 2 or 3 serving bowls divide the quinoa mixture. Top the quinoa with the black beans and roasted sweet potato. Drizzle the cilantro cream on top with a spoon. Top with more cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Video
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More Meatless Meals:
Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad
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These quinoa bowls look so vibrant and healthy! I actually find the prep work—slicing the sweet potatoes and veggies—to be quite relaxing. To keep that satisfying flow going while my quinoa cooks, I love playing Slice Master. It’s a fun video game that really tests your precision and timing. It’s the perfect way to unwind in the kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration
Thank you for this recipe! We love it. We add falafel sometimes, and/or a grains salad tossed with oil and salt underneath, and/or naan or a pita for scooping. It’s like CAVA at home.
Your additions sound amazing! Total CAVA vibes at home. Thanks so much for sharing—now I’m craving this all over again!
This was delicious and supper easy to make.
We added corn to our bowl n bc we had no yogurt I made the sauce with sour cream n parsley instead. It was delicious n we will make it again for sure. Also cooked the quinoa in chicken broth for a bit more flavor.
I’m so glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much for your feedback!
I made this for my husband’s meal prep and the flavors are amazing! I added a side of chicken thighs for more protein!