I like quinoa. I do.  I just like it in smallish quantities. I feel like I’m supposed to really like it.  It’s that hot new grain that’s super healthy, has every nutrient you need, absorbs all flavors, can be made sweet or savory, yada yada.  I’m sorry, but I’m just not that into it.

Every once and a while though, I feel like we should be eating it (because it’s so healthy!) and I end up buying it.  We had some in our cupboard, and when deciding how to prepare it, Brandon came across this recipe.  I’m not the biggest fan of allrecipes.  I sometimes feel like their site is just a dumping ground for all the recipes posted on the boxes of ingredients from the grocery store.  But not all those recipes are bad, so I shouldn’t shun them immediately.  What really caught my eye on this particular recipe though was that almost 62,000 people had saved it to their recipe box. 62,000 people are planning on making quinoa, and they’re preparing it this way? Well then, I guess it can’t be half bad.

So with just a few small ingredient additions (paprika, jalapeno, lime), I prepared this quinoa recipe for dinner the other night.  And it was…. beautiful to look at but just so so.  Maybe I just need to add bacon and call it a day, but then it would feel a bit like cheating.  Am I alone here, or does someone have some super fabulous quinoa recipe I’m missing?  If not, I recommend the one below- just add pork fat.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad adapted from allrecipes.com
Serves 4
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • juice of 1 lime

Heal oil in medium size pot over medium heat.  Add in onion, garlic, and jalapeno, stirring occasionally and cooking until lightly browned (8-10 minutes).Stir in quinoa, cover with vegetable broth, and stir in spices.  Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer.  Simmer partially covered over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Stir in corn and beans, cooking for a few minutes until corn is cooked through.  Stir in cilantro and lime. Dish may served warm, at room temp, or chilled and served cold.

    • Thank you, Linda! That one looks promising, I’ll definitely try it soon.

  1. Yeah I agree with you. I like it for the nutritional qualities but it’s hard to eat because it’s VERY bland and hard to get to taste good. I’ll tell you I did have quinoa chili that was pretty good - it’s vegetarian - and I added sour cream and cheese (like I would with normal chili). I really liked it.

    Here’s my link: http://mrs.dohpaz.com/cookbook/1537805503

  2. Looks delicious:) allrecipes.com are so good isnt it?:) I just love southern food, i might try this one as well..

  3. That is so mouthwatering, excellent recipe

  4. hi, i’m peruvian (just like quinua). there are so many recipes you can do with it, even desserts. i’ll be glad to check my cook books and post some for you.

    macarena

  5. Hi Clara, I made your quinoa salad yesterday, and it was absolutely fantastic and a great hit with my guests! Couldn’t find jalapenos, though, and used 1/2 a habanero chilli, which was a bit dominant so might use just a small red chilli next time. But your recipe is now filed in my “make again” folder!

    • Hi Kiki- I’m delighted to hear that! Thank you!

      • This is supposed to be an offline question, but I didn’t know how else to contact you: I also have a German blog (kikiskuechenleben.wordpress.com) and would like to post your recipe there in German, linking to your original recipe, naturally. Could you let me know whether that would be OK with you?

        Thanks, Kiki

  6. Hi Kiki- I’d be delighted! You’re so sweet to ask permission. Thanks so much for following my blog.

  7. Pingback: Quinoa Salat Southwestern Art « Kiki's Küchenleben

  8. Tabatha

    Hi, I recently made virtually the same recipe but with tomato sauce and chili pepper. It’s like a vegetarian chili. The tomato sauce helps add flavour. I think it would also be good with ground beef and other vegetables. I also like to use quinoa in soups as a substitute for noodles. For example, I have made a modified “chicken noodle soup” with quinoa instead of noodles and I added chickpeas and corn to make it a little more hearty.

  9. Tabatha

    Oh, and I also made a banana bread where I used quinoa flakes instead of flour, honey instead of sugar, coconut milk instead of milk and added chocolate chips (because I love chocolate). It was really good, and nice to know I managed to add a lot of healthy things into a recipe without affecting the flavour.

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