Recipe: Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad
Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad is a healthier way of enjoying burrito without all that extra rice and too many processed sauces. Quinoa replaces the rice, making this salad more protein rich and healthier without compromising on the overall flavour. Usually a burrito is served on a tortilla. Here I have not served any tortilla with the salad bowl. You can always serve it with tortilla chips, ready made or home baked ones. check out my Mexican Bhel recipe for home baked tortilla chips.
Sharing This Recipe With FoodieMonday/Bloghop
The 55th theme is Salads. I decided to make a Burrito Bowl Salad which I first had as a meal at one of the Tex Mex restaurants in Montreal. You take a bowl and add whatever you want. At the end it is weighed and you pay accordingly. What a cool idea. Back then I opted for rice as there was no quinoa. For this theme I decided to replace the rice with quinoa to make it extra healthy.
Also Sharing This Post With Foodies_Redoing Old Posts
The first time I posted this recipe on 29/08/2016, the photos were not good at all. Also I had used sour cream. Redoing this post on 28/07/2023 with better photos, adding chipotle sour cream and adding a bit of homemade salsa to the quinoa to make it more flavourful.
Memories
Every since I gave birth to my twins, I have been struggling to lose weight. It becomes that much more difficult when in truth I do not enjoy any sports or exercising. I find repetitive exercises boring so am usually not able to stick to any particular regime. I enjoy walking and yoga. But at the same time I am a foodie to the core. However, one thing I do and that is include a hearty salad quite often in our daily diet. Usually most of my salads are wholesome, colourful, flavourful and I try and make the dressings at home.
I may have not lost weight since I first posted this recipe, but 7 years since then and still feel energetic. Touch wood, no illnesses as such except that I have hypothyroidism. I stay away from fizzy drinks, juices out of cartons, bags full of snacks, etc.
What Is Quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced as keenwah) is not a grain but edible seeds which originate from the Andean region. Quinoa can be white, red and black. It is also possible to buy the tricolour quinoa. Whenever available, I prefer to use that for salads. Rich in protein, half cup of uncooked quinoa has 8g of it. Quinoa is ideal as a protein source for vegetarians, because it contains all the essential amino acids (protein building blocks) that the body needs. The only other plant that has that unique quality is soy. It is also a rich source of thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, zinc, potassium, magnesium and selenium. Along with that it provides 15% of the daily iron requirement.Easy to cook, quinoa is gluten free.
Some Healthy Wholesome Salad Recipes That You May Like
Ingredients Required For Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad
Quinoa – choose any quinoa of your choice, white, black, red or a mixture. I used red quinoa as that is what I had in my pantry.
Water – to cook the quinoa in.
Tomato Salsa Sauce – to add a bit to the cooked quinoa. Optional. Use homemade or ready made.
Beans – used red kidney beans or black beans, cooked. Use canned or home cooked ones. If you want to cook them at home then it is best to soak the beans in warm water overnight or for 6-8 hours. Bring enough water to boil, add the beans. Add a bit of salt and cook them till done. Alternately, cook them in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
Sweet Corn – use fresh, frozen or canned. Boil the fresh or frozen one in some water till done. Usually cooks pretty fast.
Avocado – use one small one.Peel and cut the avocado into slices or cubes.
Onion – use any of your choice, red, white, or yellow. I prefer to use the red ones as they tend to be a bit pungent.
Tomatoes – If you are using large or medium tomatoes, then chop them into bite size pieces. Or use baby tomatoes. Cut them into halves.
Spring Onion – adds flavour and crunch.
Fresh Cilantro/Coriander – for flavour.
Sour Cream – to use as a dressing.
Chipotle Powder – chipotle powder is nothing but smokey dried jalapeno which is powdered. If you don’t have any then use cayenne powder.
Cayenne Powder – to add a bit of heat to the salad. Optional.
Salt – to add to the chipotle sour cream.
Lime – to add to the chipotle sour cream and for the avocado.
Garlic – one clove, peeled and chopped. To add to the chipotle sour cream.
Burrito|Fajita| Taco Seasoning – add some to the chipotle sour cream. I have used ready made burrito seasoning.
Salad Leaves – any of your choice.
Cheese – optional. Use Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Feta or Cojtija.
Watch How To Make Quinoa Burrito Salad Bowls
QUINOA BURRITO BOWL SALAD
Ingredients
FOR THE BURRITO SALAD
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup sweet corn cooked
- 1 cup red or black beans cooked
- ¼ cup onion sliced
- 1 small avocado peeled and sliced or diced
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ¼ cup tomato salsa sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- ½ cup cheddar cheese tiny cubes
- ½ cup spring onion chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 cups lettuce leaves chopped
FOR THE CHIPOTLE SOUR CREAM
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp chipotle powder or smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional
- ¼ tsp burrito seasoning powder
- 1 clove garlic peeled and chopped finely
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
COOK THE QUINOA
- Wash the quinoa in a sieve or strainer.
- Put 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the washed quinoa and salt. Bring it to a boil.
- Lower the heat so that the quinoa simmers. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or till the water evaporates and the quinoa is done.
- Take the pan off the heat. Mix in the salsa sauce.
PREPARE THE CHIPOTLE SOUR CREAM
- Add sour cream to a mixing bowl.
- Add chipotle powder, cayenne pepper and seasoning.
- Add the salt, garlic and lime juice too.
- Mix well.
PREPARE THE SALAD INGREDIENTS
- Peel and slice the avocado. Drizzle some lime juice over it so that it does not turn dark.
- Cut the baby tomatoes into halves.
- Wash and dry the salad leaves.
- Chop the onion into slices or chop it finely.
- Wash and chop the spring onion and cilantro.
- If you are not using canned beans and sweet corn, then make sure they are cooked.
ASSEMBLE THE QUINOA BURRITO SALAD BOWL
- Divide the quinoa into two parts. Take two wide bowls and place the quinoa portions in each.
- Arrange the tomatoes, beans, corn, avocado, onion and salad leaves.
- Sprinkle chopped spring onion and cilantro.
- Add the cheese cubes.
- Serve the burrito bowl salad with the chipotle sour cream.
Notes
- Add cucumber, red onions, steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper if you like.
- Serve the salad bowl with some extra salsa, guacamole if you want to.
- If you are using dried beans then you need to soak them in warm water overnight or for 6 hours. Drain out the soaking water. Cook the beans in enough water till done. Or pressure cook them for 3 whistles on medium heat.
- If you are using fresh or frozen corn then you need to boil it in water till it is done.
- Use taco or fajita seasoning instead of burrito seasoning.
- Instead of cheddar cheese, can use feta, cotija or Monterey Jack.
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