This Southwestern-style sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl is an easy vegetarian recipe filled with tender roasted sweet potatoes, beans, fluffy quinoa, roasted red peppers, and sweet corn, drizzled in a zesty lime crema.
Love quinoa bowl recipes? Try my crunchy Thai quinoa salad, this refreshing tabbouleh quinoa salad, or these spicy Buffalo chicken quinoa bowls.
I’m still on a vegetarian meal kick. Luckily, sweet potatoes and beans have been my best friends. A couple of weeks ago, I made a sweet potato chickpea curry, and today’s sweet potato black bean quinoa bowls are an old recipe that I’ve resurfaced recently. I’d forgotten how delicious these were! The sweet potatoes are covered in a smoky spice blend and then roasted in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness. Then tossed with black beans, quinoa, more veggies, and topped with a fresh, zesty cilantro lime crema that you need to double!
What Makes This My Favorite Quinoa Bowl Recipe
- Zesty Tex-Mex flavors. The spiced roasted sweet potatoes add so much flavor and pair perfectly with the earthy black beans, corn, roasted red pepper, and creamy avocado. But the kicker is totally the cilantro lime crema, it ties everything together and completes the dish.
- 100% vegetarian. I’m so used to picking up a protein and making a side to go with it that I sometimes struggle putting together vegetarian meals. These sweet potato quinoa bowls make it easy! Load all sorts of tasty, seasoned veggies onto a bed of fluffy quinoa, and enjoy.
- Customize it any way you’d like. Aside from black beans and sweet potatoes, I load up my quinoa bowls with sweet roasted red peppers, juicy corn, and toppings like avocado, lime, and jalapeños. You can really get creative with these bowls, though, and adapt the recipe with your favorite ingredients.
Black Bean Quinoa Bowls Ingredients
No matter the recipe, I tend to follow a sort of “formula” when it comes to assembling the ultimate quinoa bowl. I’ll share it here:
- Quinoa – You’ll find red, white, black, and tri-colored quinoa. Most dried quinoa you’ll find in stores comes pre-rinsed. If not, you’ll need to rinse it before cooking to avoid a bitter flavor.
- Vegetables – I like to add roasted vegetables to my quinoa bowls. In this case, that’s roasted sweet potatoes, jarred roasted bell peppers, red onion, and sweet corn (which is technically a grain, but you get my drift!).
- Seasoning – I season the sweet potatoes with a mix of cumin, sweet or smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. You can substitute the individual spices with taco or fajita seasoning or chili powder.
- Protein – In this vegetarian recipe, I use black beans. You can add different proteins in the form of white beans, pinto beans, roasted chickpeas, and meat-based options like chicken, grilled steak, and pan-seared shrimp.
- Dressing – For this bowl, I make an easy Mexican lime crema that I think brightens up the Tex-Mex flavors perfectly. Other tasty dressing options are a simple lemon vinaigrette, this spicy poblano dressing, or a Thai-inspired peanut dressing.
- Extras – Like lime wedges, sliced avocado, and jalapeños. I love adding other garnishes like roasted nuts, fresh herbs, pickled onions, or fresh citrus to my quinoa bowls for that extra “pop” of flavor.
What Does Quinoa Taste Like?
Well, if you’re my husband, you’d say it tastes like nothing (lol). And while quinoa does have a mild flavor, to me, the best way to describe the taste and texture of quinoa is that it’s like brown rice and oats had a baby. Quinoa is fluffy, crunchy, and nutty, all rolled into one. It’s very versatile and can be prepared several ways, including quinoa bowls!
How to Cook Quinoa
Preparing quinoa is a lot like cooking rice. Remember to rinse it before use. Then, add 1 cup of quinoa to a small saucepan along with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, covered. Once water is absorbed, fluff your quinoa with a fork, and it’s ready to use.
Assemble Your Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ll know that I’m all about Tex-Mex recipes. This recipe packs all those smoky, spicy Southwestern flavors that I love into a satisfying meal bowl. Here’s how to put your cooked quinoa together with the rest of the ingredients:
- First, roast the sweet potatoes. Toss the diced sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Spread the seasoned potatoes out on a baking sheet and roast at 400ºF for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the crema. Add fresh cilantro, Greek yogurt, vinegar, lime juice, and the other crema ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend that to make a smooth, creamy dressing.
- Assemble the quinoa bowls. Divide the quinoa between bowls, then layer on the roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, red peppers, onions, corn kernels, and any toppings. Spoon the crema over your bowls, and dig in.
Recipe Tips
- Drain and rinse canned beans. If you’re using canned black beans, be sure to rinse and drain them well before you add them to the quinoa bowls. This goes for canned corn kernels, too.
- Substitute the sweet potato. If you don’t have sweet potatoes, make this quinoa bowl with roasted butternut squash instead.
- Meal prep these bowls. You can prepare the individual components, like cooking the quinoa, roasting the sweet potatoes, chopping the veggies, blending the dressing, etc., 1-2 days in advance. Keep everything airtight in the fridge so it’s ready to assemble for quick and easy lunches.
Proper Storage
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Whenever possible, try to store the individual ingredients separately, and leave off fresh toppings, like avocado, until it’s time to serve. The lime crema can be refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to 1 week.
Everything about these sweet potato quinoa bowls is dreamy! I guarantee that you’ll fall in love with this bowl and won’t even miss the meat. Bon appétit, friends!
More Quinoa Recipes
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Description
This vegetarian sweet potato quinoa bowl is filled with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, quinoa, roasted red peppers, and corn, drizzled with a fresh and zesty lime crema.
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup no salt sweet corn, drained and rinsed
- 2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- optional: jalapeno, sliced
- 2 avocado, sliced
Cilantro Crema:
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 garlic clove
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together.
- In a large bowl, add sweet potatoes and the olive oil seasoning. Toss to coat the potatoes with the mixture.
- Spread the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the meantime, rinse quinoa with water. Then add 2 cups of water and quinoa to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork.
- To a small food processor add fresh cilantro, greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic clove, salt and a pepper to taste. Blend until smooth and cilantro is finely chopped.
- Assemble the Sweet Potato Bowls. To a large bowl add quinoa, sweet potatoes, black beans, roasted red pepper, red onion, avocado, corn and then drizzle with dressing. (optional sliced jalapenos)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl + crema
- Calories: 529
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 484 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 73 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
61 comments on “Easy Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl with Crema”
Fantastic recipe. However, I had to make a few adjustments as I didn’t have greek yogurt, and I also added grated carrot. Taste awesome!
Awesome, love the change up to work with what you had!
Hands down the best recipe I’ve tried in years. Absolutely delicious and a favorite with the whole family. Thanks so much!
Well, tickle me pink! Such a huge compliment, and I am thrilled the entire family loved it!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times. I take it for lunch at work and eat it all week!
The best compliment ever! I am thrilled you love this recipe as much as I do!
I am thrilled you love this recipe as much as I do! Thank you for the review!!
Delicious. The sweet potatoes by themselves are a treat.
Agree! It’s like dessert for dinner!
Cannot thank you enough for this delicious recipe! My entire family enjoyed it and they have NEVER enjoyed a quinoa bowl recipe. Well done. Will definitely be on the regular menu in my house.
This is a huge compliment! I am so glad it was a hit!
Just made this for me and my daughter. It was delicious healthy and so easy. My daughter does not usually like bowls for dinner but she said this was a 10 out of 10 !! Have pinned so I can make again.
I love this review! Thank you, and so glad it was a hit! Bowls are always my go-to and a crowd pleaser!
I just made this for dinner. It’s delicious! My only question was this: does roasted peppers mean the jarred kind or fresh roasted peppers with the sweet potatoes? I had jarred peppers so I just popped those on top of the salad.
I used fresh red peppers I roasted on the grill, but jarred red peppers work too! I love all things quinoa bowls and glad you enjoyed this recipe!
The cilantro lime crema doesn’t have any lime. (Bowl is even better with roasted pepper and onion. Black beans and corn are good with a little roasting, too.)
eek.. I forgot to add it. It’s in there now! (hand to forehead) haha silly mistake!
Should this bowl be served hot or cold?
I like to serve it warm.
This is the bomb! Entire family loved it! Will be making again forsure! Double the dressing, it is awesome!
Great! My husband and I loved this! Wonderful combination of healthful ingredients and flavors. Very straightforward and easy to make.
Very delicious!! I roasted cauliflower with the sweet potatoes and added julienned carrots, lettuce and radishes as additional crunchy elements. I heated the beans and corn. I recommend doubling the dressing – the quinoa and other ingredients soak it up and it is really tasty.
I will definitely add this to my Meatless Monday repertoire !!
My mom made this for me and it was incredibly delicious! Will make again for sure.
Very yummy! Al the flavors go well together. A balance of sweetness combined w spicy.
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
I made this for lunch today, and it was ridiculously good and soooo filling! I don’t think any of us finished our bowl! It was a little more work than I expected but was worth it. Thank you for the recipe!
woohoo glad you liked it Trisha! If you prep the veggies ahead of time it comes together pretty fast and is a great lunch option throughout the week!
Love love love! Pinned to make
Hi,
I love your post sweet potato black bean quinoa bowls. I have noted your recipe on my notebook!
Please continue your writing in the future!
Thanks
thanks maria!
This recipe looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it. And the murder mystery party sounds so incredible! I threw one recently but the stories were nowhere near as elaborate as this! I’d love to know, was the game purchased or was it made up by the hosts? We got ours from Shot In The Dark Mysteries but I’m curious to know alternatives! Thank you!
How many calories is there per serving?
Hey Amona, I just updated the recipe to show the calorie counts.
That’s was amazing! Just had it for dinner. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
hurray!!! so glad you liked it Kimberly, it’s definitely a favorite of ours too!
I just made this last night and it was AMAZING. It was also a hit with my husband and 2 year old (no jalapenos for her though).
With your 2 year old too… now that’s saying something! Hurray! Glad everyone liked it Becky!
Oh my gosh! I made this for dinner tonight! It is soon good! Zero guilt but totally full!
Hurray! Glad to hear it Diane!
i made this today for lunch & it is delish!! My husband and I both loved it. Keep posting yummy recipes!!
OH, thank you so much Vi! So glad you guys liked it! 🙂
I just love this bowl, and that dressing? I’m allllll about it! Not only does it sound delicious, but it’s beautiful and colorful, too! What a great meal. I’ve always wanted to go to a Murder Mystery event — how fun!
This is my “eat the rainbow” bowl… and it takes ridiculous amazing too! Especially covered in that dressing. YUM!
You totally need to host one of those murder mystery dinners.. it’s a blast!
That murder mystery dinner sounds like so much fun! I am loving this healthy bowl with so many great flavors.
It was a blast Sandi!
These look super tasty, girl!
thanks chica!
What a great Fall vegetable bowl! So vibrant and delicious!
Eat the rainbow. 🙂 hehe
Loving the flavors in this healthy and filling dinner idea!
Thank you Anna! 🙂
mmmm…this bowl has my name written all over it!! Sounds incredible!!!
Right!? So tasty!
That sounds so fun! The only thing I know about murder mystery dinners is what I learned in Saved by the Bell. 😀
I love that dark background! Did you make it? Or buy it? The food looks great, too!
haha… ahhh good old saved by the bell! Best show ever!
Thanks Erin! I purchased the background from Erickson Woodworks. 🙂 I love their stuff!
These bowls look so delicious and comforting!!! And don’t even get me started on this cilantro dressing…next time I make some burrito bowls I’m keeping all of these toppings in mind!
haha.. the cilantro dressing is AH-MAZING!
I have always wanted to host one of those murder mystery dinners, they sound like so much fun. and I am pretty sure my mac and cheese monday kids would LOVE these bowls for meatless monday instead 🙂 Happy Halloween
It is seriously a blast. I think we’re gonna do another one in February that will be a flapper one. 🙂 soooo excited!
Hi! What other kinds of dressing would you recommend with this bowl if someone doesn’t like cilantro? 🙂
You could do ranch, just gonna be more calories. I’d keep it to 2 tablespoons if you do it. 🙂