An Easy Plant-Based Weeknight Meal

You know those days… the days when the to-do list keeps getting longer and the hours keep getting shorter? And by the time you get home from work, you don’t even want to think about making dinner plus all the dishes that go with it? 

And… if your budget conscious and you don’t like to go out to eat when it isn’t planned AND you want to eat something healthy, take-out isn’t in the cards. (Plus, plant-based options are extremely limited in our neck of the woods). 

That’s when this recipe saves the day. 

We pretty much dump in all the ingredients and hit cook and whala! 

If you love it, tag us on Instagram or post on Facebook to share the love! 

❤️lauren

 

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Instant Pot Southwest Quinoa Bowl

Total Time: 35 minutes | ~4 Servings

Ingredients

½ large red onion, diced 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1 cup tri-color quinoa, rinsed and drained 

1, 15 ounce can, low-sodium black beans

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will do) 

¾ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne pepper (up to ⅛ teaspoon if you like heat) 

1 ½ cup vegetable broth 

1 cup organic corn, frozen 

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes 

Optional Toppings: Avocado or Guacamole, Fresh Lime Juice, Cilantro, Crushed Tortilla Chips

Directions

Dice the red onion and mince the garlic. 

Turn on the ‘sauté’ feature of your Instant Pot. When hot, add the onion and garlic. If/when it starts to stick add a tablespoon of water, as needed. Sauté until onion becomes translucent. About 5 minutes. 

Rinse your quinoa until the water starts to run clear. (Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy.) 

Add quinoa to Instant Pot. Then, add your 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt and a dash of cayenne pepper (optional). Sauté for another 3 minutes. Cancel the sauté feature. 

Rinse black beans. Add veggie broth, corn, black beans, and fire-roasted tomatoes to the Instant Pot. Stir. Cover Instant Pot and make sure the valve is sealed. 

Press the ‘Pressure Cook’ feature and set it on high for 8 minutes, and let the Instant Pot build pressure and cook. When 8 minutes are up let it naturally release, about 10 minutes or so. 

Stir and serve with desired toppings. We like avocado, fresh lime juice, and cilantro. (Alison’s husband loves to add a little crunch, so he crushes up tortilla chips and throws them in.) 

Enjoy!