This vegan quinoa recipe has great flavor and is a perfect lunch or side dish for you to try with dinner tonight.

I didn't grow up eating quinoa, but starting a vegan journey will open your world up to a lot of amazing seeds, grains, vegetables, and fruit.

I promise there's so much variety! Be open to experimenting and having some fun in the kitchen.

You can find quinoa in most grocery stores these days. It's usually in the same aisle as rice.

Remember to rinse it before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating.

Check out the video and full recipe below…

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Corn & Avocado

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: steam entree side vegan vegetarian gluten-free sugar-free soy-free

Ingredients (4 as a meal & 6 as a side)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or vegetable broth
15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, pitted and diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions

Combine quinoa and water in a small pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat (to low), cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Use a fork to fluff your quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl.

Mix in cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and salt.

Allow quinoa to cool, then add in all the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.

Adjust seasoning to taste (I usually add in all the spices again to make sure the vegetables have flavor).

Cover and chill in the fridge or eat it at room temperature.

I usually store this quinoa salad in a glass dish, place a paper towel on top, then cover.

Consume this dish within 3 days.

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think once you try this recipe. :-)

Guess what we ate for dinner a lot before going vegan?

Hamburger Helper and those Birds Eye Voila Skillet Meals.

Don't judge me.

I liked the convenience of those meals and really thought cooking a homemade meal would take too long.

I was wrong.

As you can see in the dinner recipe video below, this meal will only take about 30 minutes and its filling, simple and delicious.

I usually double the ingredients to serve my family of 5.

The ingredients listed below are for 4 people.

This meal should take you about 35 minutes and you can serve it with vegan garlic bread and a salad.

Don't like mushrooms? I think more vegetables, black beans or vegan sausage (from a brand like Field Roast) will work as a good replacement.

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta Skillet Recipe

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup vegetable broth
(2) 15 oz cans of coconut milk
1 lb farfalle/bow-tie pasta (uncooked)
3 handfuls of fresh spinach
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, saute the onion for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add in mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.

Mix in red bell pepper, garlic, cumin and vegetable broth.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shake the cans of coconut milk, open and pour into the skillet along with the bow-tie pasta.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium.

Be sure to mix the pasta every 2-3 minutes to ensure that it doesn't stick together (should be ready in 20 minutes).

Mix in spinach and cook for about 1 minute.

Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Quinoa Salad Recipe with Black Beans, Corn & Avocado

Let me know what you think once you try this recipe. :-)

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta Skillet Recipe (Video)

Let me know what you think once you try the recipe.