Quintessential Quinoa

You’re about to meet one of your favorite new dishes. Light, fluffy, and springy, quinoa is one of the healthiest seeds (that’s often mistaken for a grain) you can eat. And when paired with Tex-Mex flavors, it’ll make you want to dance. If you like, you can serve it topped with a dash of hot sauce or a small sprinkle of crumbled cotija or shredded low-fat cheese.

Photos by Aleksey Zozulya

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

30-60 min

Diet

Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

30-60 min, 6 servings, can low-sodium black beans, can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, chili powder, contributed, cook 35 min, crumbled cotija cheese, dairy free, dinner, easy, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh cilantro leaves, garlic cloves, gluten free, ground cumin, jalapeno pepper, juice of 1 lime, low sodium vegetable broth, lunch, main course, modern, package frozen corn kernels, prep 5 min, pressure cook, quinoa, red bell pepper, sauté, seasoned salt, side dish, small red onion, vegetarian

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

35 min

Servings

6 servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime
1 can low-sodium black beans
1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/2 package frozen corn kernels
2 tsp fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp chili powder
crumbled Cotija cheese

Instructions

Add the oil to the Instant Pot, hit Sauté, and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting. After 3 minutes of heating, add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño (if using) and sauté for 5 minutes, until lightly softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, put the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 90 seconds; drain well.
Add the quinoa to the pot and toss until coated in the veggies and oil.
Add the broth, lime juice, black beans, tomatoes, corn (if using), cilantro (if using), cumin, seasoned salt, and chili powder. Stir well.
Secure the lid, move the valve to the sealing position, hit Keep Warm/Cancel, and then hit Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 1 minute. When done, allow a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork, stir, and serve topped with additional fresh cilantro and cotija cheese, Parmesan cheese, or nutritional yeast, if desired.

Notes

JEFF’S TIP: Want red kidney beans instead of black? Have at it! Calories will increase by about 30, carbs by about 7g, and protein by about 4g.
Per serving
Calories: 295
Fat: 6.3g
Carbs: 50.5g
Sodium: 330mg
Protein: 11.8g
Fiber: 8.3g
Sugars: 3.7g