Vegan Mexican Quinoa Bowl with Green Chile Cilantro Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-30 · Updated 2026-04-30

A colorful vegan grain bowl featuring fluffy quinoa, black beans, fresh vegetables, and a zesty green chile cilantro sauce. This Mexican-inspired vegan recipe (gluten free), ready in about 30 minutes, pairs quinoa, water, black beans for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with rice, quinoa, or a quick salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (15 oz), drained and rinsed black beans
• 1 cup, fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup, halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium, diced avocado
• 1/4 cup, finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup, packed fresh cilantro
• 1 small, seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1, minced garlic clove
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water and combine with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy; fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. Step 2: In a blender or food processor, combine 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1 small seeded jalapeño pepper, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Blend until smooth to create the green chile cilantro sauce.
3. Step 3: In a large bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, 1 can drained black beans, 1 cup corn kernels, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, and 1 medium diced avocado.
4. Step 4: Pour the green chile cilantro sauce over the quinoa mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
5. Step 5: Sprinkle 1 tsp ground cumin over the bowl and toss once more before serving.