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Mexican Buddha Bowl
$11.97 Recipe/$2.99 Serving
Mexican buddha bowls are easy to make, ready in 30 minutes and perfect for lunch or dinner. Easy to customize based on what you have on hand and perfect for meal prep.
Cook the quinoa. You can cook it on the stove with 2 cups of water or in the instant pot with 1.5 cups water. To cook on the stove add water and bring to a boil, once boiling cover and turn down to low, simmer for 15 minutes. To use the instant pot add quinoa and water and cook high pressure 1 minute, let pressure release 10 minutes before manual release.
Chop the vegetables, cut the zucchini and yellow squash into half moon shapes, dice the bell peppers and slice the onions.
Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add the onions and cook 2-3 minutes until they start to get tender. Next add the zucchini and yellow squash. Cook 5-7 minutes, being sure to stir often so that onions don't burn. Once zucchini is done cooking, add the spices and bell peppers. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Rinse and drain the black beans while the veggies are cooking.
Once vegetables are done cooking, remove the vegetables and add the black beans, water, tomato paste, and spices to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring well to fully incorporate the tomato paste into the beans. Cook 5-7 minutes (5 minutes for saucy beans and 7 minutes for drier beans). You can always add 2-4 tablespoons to make it saucier. Turn off the stove once beans are done cooking.
While the black bean are cooking, chop the cilantro, radish, tomato and avocado.
Once the quinoa is done cooking, add the lime juice, cilantro, salt and garlic powder. Stir well.
Once the quinoa, veggies and black beans are done cooking, make the buddha bowls by assembling all the ingredients in a single bowl.
Notes
Meal prep tips
Mexican buddha bowls can be enjoyed hot, cold or room temperature. If you plan on heating up your buddha bowls when reheating the leftovers, be sure to wait until right before serving to add the avocado, radish and salsa. The rest can be pre-portioned and stored together to make getting lunch together a breeze.
You can easily freeze the quinoa and black beans for later use. It’s more difficult to freeze the veggies, as zucchini and squash get very soggy when defrosted. If you know you want to freeze leftovers, use all onions and peppers, and omit the zucchini and yellow squash.
It’s best to wait to slice the avocado until right before serving. If you know you won’t have time for that, you can make a quick guacamole by combining avocado, lime juice, cilantro, salt and garlic powder. Guacamole typically holds up better than fresh avocado.
Substitutions
Cilantro Lime Quinoa – you can use rice or cauliflower rice in place of the quinoa. For more substitutions, check out this cilantro lime quinoa recipe.
Mexican Veggies – you can use whatever veggies you have on hand for this. For other substitution ideas, check out the substitution section in this Mexican Vegetable recipe post.
Mexican Black beans – you can make this with black beans, white beans, pinto beans, kidney beans or even lentils in place of the black beans. For other substitution ideas, check out the substitution section in Black Bean Tacos.
Radish (optional) – you can simply omit the radish or replace it with something crunchy like thinly sliced bell peppers, crushed tortilla chips or jicama.
Avocado (optional) – avocado adds creaminess. You could also use a creamy chipotle mayo or homemade guacamole in place of the avocado.
Salsa – I use a store-bought salsa and it’s a great way to change up the flavors of this dish by using a different salsa every time. You can also make your own salsa or use pico de gallo or one of the dressing options listed above in place of the salsa.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend waiting to add the salsa and avocado until right before serving if possible. Avocado tends to brown within hours of being cut and the salsa can water down the buddha bowl if added too early.
Freezer: You can freeze the cilantro lime quinoa and black beans easily (3 months in airtight containers). I do not recommend freezing the Mexican veggies if you are using zucchini and yellow squash, as they get watery when defrosted. If you know you will be freezing the veggies, just use just peppers and onions (about 3 peppers), as these freeze a bit better (freeze up to 2 months). You can freeze avocado as well. I would freeze the ingredients all separately and assemble the buddha bowls with defrosted veggies.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
548
Fat
19
g
Carbohydrates
79
g
Fiber
25
g
Sugar
8
g
Protein
22
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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