For a protein-packed lunch idea, try this Quinoa Protein Bowl that combines edamame, corn, black beans, and avocado on a bed of quinoa.
Don’t you just love when you throw a bunch of ingredients together, and it somehow turns out to be a legit-tasting meal? I usually get my food inspiration from existing recipes, but this Quinoa Protein Bowl was purely random.
It’s actually a recipe I used to make regularly as part of my healthy food prep on Sundays, since it’s such a great lunch to bring to work. I haven’t made it for awhile, though, and am excited to re-introduce it to my weekly meal planning.
With ingredients like black beans, edamame, and quinoa, this bowl is a meat-free dish that’s packed with plant-based protein. Here’s a closer look at how 1 cup of each of the ingredients stacks up:
- Black beans: 39g protein
- Edamame: 17g protein
- Quinoa: 8.14g protein
Obviously you’re not going to be eating an entire cup of each of those, but I thought it was interesting. If you split this recipe into 4 servings, each bowl has a whopping 25g of protein though! Also worth noting: all three ingredients are fairly high in dietary fiber as well.
This recipe is pretty versatile, so you could adjust the types and amounts of ingredients based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Sometimes I’ll add chicken to this if I have some already prepared. I’ve also added this all to a bed of romaine lettuce, which was extra good. For a look at how I tend to make this Quinoa Protein Bowl, check out the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (about 2/3 cup uncooked)
- 1 cup shelled edamame
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans (about half a 15-oz. can)
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
- Optional: hot sauce
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the Seasoning Blend ingredients. Stir into the cooked quinoa.
- Heat the edamame, corn, and black beans in the microwave for about 2 minutes or on the stove until warmed throughout.
- In each bowl, layer about 1/2 cup of quinoa with 1/4 cup of the edamame, corn, and black beans.
- Add 1/4 of the avocado, 2 Tbs cheddar, and the desired amount of hot sauce. Serve immediately or refrigerate to enjoy later.
Notes:
Each serving has about 25g of protein and 590 calories. If you want to reduce the number of calories in this dish, simply omit the cheese. You can also replace half of the quinoa with lettuce for more of a salad dish.
In case you’re curious, I tend to use frozen edamame and corn and canned black beans, but whatever types you have on hand will work just fine. Also, I like this quinoa bowl recipe served both warm or cold. It really just depends on my mood for the day (and how lazy I am at work).
The original version of this post was published on April 15, 2014.
- Do you bring your lunch to work? Or do you tend to go out more often?
- What’s a go-to dish you like to prep ahead of time for the week?
That’s awesome! Looks super good.
Thanks! I feel like you’d like it, even though you’re not a big quinoa fan.
We’ve been feeding my 7-month-old daughter quinoa with avocado and she loves it. Looks like I have a reason to get into quinoa with this recipe. Nice job.
Awww that’s awesome! I know the tiny bits of quinoa weird some people out, so that’s cool daughter likes it!
This was such a simple recipe. I did add some shredded chicken and used sriracha to spice things up. I made it enough for two days, so yesterday I had it as it is and today I used it as a taco filling. Yum!
Good idea! I’ve never thought about throwing it in a tortilla. Glad you liked it. 🙂