Cilantro Lime Quinoa - a perfect healthy side dish that can be served with a number of Mexican dishes. It is super easy and simple to make and can be a great alternative to traditional cilantro lime rice
Quinoa is a very versatile and healthy grain. Therefore, we use it frequently in our diet. I always keep experimenting with quinoa and try to replace it with white rice whenever possible. These days I am also making quinoa risotto, quinoa fried rice in my kitchen. I have even tried chocolate quinoa bowl for breakfast which to my surprise turned out pretty good!
After giving quinoa an Italian and an Asian twist, it is a time to make it the Mexican way. And cilantro lime quinoa will be a perfect fit to replace rice in Mexican dishes/recipes. Trust me, it really tastes yummy that you won't miss rice. Basically it's a twin recipe of cilantro-lime brown rice that is on the Blog.
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Recipe variation
Moreover, you can easily turn this quinoa dish into a perfect healthy gluten-free entree. Just add roasted vegetables, some proteins like beans or tofu or grilled lean meat like chicken thighs or mini turkey meatloaves and turn it into a wholesome quinoa bowl for dinner or lunch. You can find inspiration for such healthy quinoa bowl here.
How is this cilantro lime quinoa healthy?
- Quinoa is the main healthy grain in this recipe. It is an excellent source of phosphorous and manganese. And it also contains protein, dietary fiber, folate, and dietary minerals in moderate amounts. It is a gluten-free grain and is easy to digest. Therefore, quinoa is also known as a superfood
- Lime is an excellent source of vitamin C. And it is also a good source of diverse phytochemicals
- It is low in fat and does not contain added saturated fats
You may also love these Mexican flavors
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Cilantro Lime Quinoa
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup quinoa
- 3 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock if not vegan)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (plus more for garnishing)
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 jalapeno seeded
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender add garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, and pulse it to get the minced texture. Do not over blend and make it into a paste
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add cilantro-garlic mixture and cook for about a min.
- Then add quinoa and saute for about 2-3 min.
- Add lime juice, lime zest, cumin powder and vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil
- Season with salt and simmer it on low heat for 18-20 min or until quinoa is nice and tender
- Garnish with some fresh cilantro and lime wedges before serving
Caitlin says
Yum! What a good side for taco night 🙂
Bryan Carey says
Sounds like a nice change from the usual cilantro rice! We eat a good deal of Mexican food in my household and this would pair well with most all of it
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
I love this! Would be the perfect side dish for chicken or fish!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
Quinoa, a great replacement for rice and the flavors in this recipe sounds delicious.