A filling plant-based meal using simple whole foods and some adobo seasoning makes for one delicious Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl. Top with a healthy, homemade honey lime dressing and this bowl will be on repeat! Packed with protein and fiber, plus gluten-free, and dairy-free friendly.
SO YOU GUYS. I just freaking found out there is going to be a Whole Foods where we’ll be living after we move this next month. (!!!!!) How did I not know about this sooner?! (Thanks, Brie.)
I was so excited I couldn’t wait to call Drew on my way home from work. Apparently he already knew, and has planned our savings accordingly… Ha… Ha. But on that note, seriously my thought process went like this: “I GET A WHOLE FOODS! … Shit. I get a Whole Foods. This could be bad, very bad.”
I mean you get it, right?! Maybe not… nice grocery stores just make me happy and I want to buy all the things! I love exploring all of the natural products places like Whole Foods has to offer… Oh man guys I’m seriously way too excited for this. I’m going to need someone to watch me like a hawk the first time I go so I don’t buy an item from every shelf… seriously.
Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl
Okay, sorry we can move on to this Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl now.
Watch the Video to see how it’s made
What you’ll need for the bowl
- quinoa
- favorite southwest seasoning (I used adobo)
- olive oil
- sweet potato
- onion
- black beans
- red bell pepper
- avocado (duh)
for the easy dressing
- coconut milk (plain yogurt also works)
- honey (or agave if strictly vegan)
- lime
- olive oil
It’s super simple and another great idea for some meal prep! This would make the best thrown together, easy quick meal if you had your sweet potatoes & onions and quinoa cooked before hand.
Plus this healthy honey lime dressing is DELISH. I kind of wanted to drink it… but I refrained so I could take this shot, obvi.
While this recipe was made for about 2-3 servings, keep in mind you could easily double all the ingredients and have yourself a healthy, plant-based meal for a family of four or so. Meatless Monday, anyone?!
The dressing really takes this bowl over the top. I love the creamy lime flavor all stirred in 😀
Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl with Honey Lime Dressing
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 bowls 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
A filling plant-based meal using simple whole foods and some adobo seasoning makes for one delicious Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl. Top with a healthy, homemade honey lime dressing and this bowl will be on repeat! Packed with protein and fiber, plus gluten-free, and dairy-free friendly.
Ingredients
For the bowls
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1/4 tsp adobo seasoning (or a southwest flavor seasoning)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
- cilantro for garnish
Honey Lime Dressing:
- 2 TBS canned coconut milk*
- 1 TBS water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- juice of 1 lime, about 3 TBS
- 1 TBS raw honey (or agave if strictly vegan)
- 1/8 tsp salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- COOK QUINOA: Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer and place in small pot of water with 1 1/2 cups of water. Allow pot to come to a boil, add in your seasoning and simmer for about 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender and water has mostly gone.
- COOK SWEET POTATOES: While the quinoa is cooking, cook your chopped sweet potato and onion in medium pan with olive oil. Add salt and pepper, or more seasoning if you wish. Cook on medium heat until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- MAKE DRESSING: In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients
- ASSEMBLE BOWLS: Distribute quinoa, potatoes and onions, black beans, bell pepper, and sliced avocado in bowls. Dress with honey lime dressing and garnish with cilantro if you wish, enjoy!
Notes
*can sub plain greek yogurt for coconut milk if not dairy-free.
Feel free to double ingredients for full-sized family meal!
Store any leftover ingredients in airtight container in fridge up to 5 days.
Nutrition does not include dressing.
Honey Lime Dressing= 80 calories, 3 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs, 9 grams of sugar.
- Category: entree
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 8
- Fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 15
- Protein: 13
Keywords: power bowl, southwest bowl, meal prep
Have a great weekend peeps! I’ll be (finally) working on actually packing and cleaning. KIND of sort of have to do that now… it’ll be my last real weekend here! Eeekk
REAL TALK:
- If you love Whole Foods… how do you not let it take all of your money?? I need someone to come shop with me and tell me “No, Ashley. Put those DOWN. No, you may not buy all 15 flavors of GT’s kombucha today.”
SOME OF THE PRODUCTS I USED IN TODAY’S RECIPE
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Erin @ The Almond Eater says
YAY WHOLE FOODS. Tip: never grab a cart; use a basket instead. That way, you can ONLY buy a handful of things and your bill will be more like $60 for those 4 things (LOL but really) instead of $492 for a cart full of stuff. I do love WF though… it’s my go-to when I know Trader Joe’s and Target won’t have what I need.
Ashley says
Ugh never grabbing a cart sounds like my Target experience every damn time I go! “Don’t get a cart Ashley, you’ll be fine…” (drops and breaks a bowl in the bread aisle because she couldn’t fit everything in her arms…) << that happened. OR I just end up getting in a killer arm workout because my basket is too full. Please come to Mi and teach me your WF ways 😉
rachel @ athletic avocado says
So excited for you to experience living near whole foods! It’s pretty awesome. I have one right by my school which is great but when I go home for summer the nearest one is like 45 mins away 🙁 What another great power bowl you have here! That dressing looks like I could eat it with a spoon!
Ashley says
Lol it will be a test of my willpower Rachel! And I basically did eat the dressing with a spoon 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Jealous! Whole foods is just a magical land of fun things 😉 I have a gift card from Christmas that I can’t eve use…since I don’t have whole foods!
O and totally loving the honey lime dressing! Sounds so good!
Ashley says
Ah what a terrible tease to have a gift card and not be able to use it!
Thanks Rebecca 🙂
Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says
Oh Whole Foods…I love your products but hate your prices…haha I hope you enjoy living near one!! I recommend what Erin said. Shop for things with a basket or make a list and STICK TO IT. I’m the WORST in the nut butter aisle! Like no Marina, you don’t need 2 jars of peanut AND almond butter!
Ashley says
Haha, EXACTLY. Thankfully I’m a nut butter making machine these days, but I’m sure I’ll fall victim to that aisle too. I’ll use it as “inspiration”… 😉
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
I am sooooooo glad that Whole Foods is a good 30 minutes from my house otherwise I wold be there every day spending every penny in my savings account. Haha! You will have to share with us your money saving tricks.
Ashley says
Man it will definitely be tricky! I’ll see how I do this summer 😉
Sarah @ BucketListTummy says
I love quinoa power bowls and this looks superb! And about the whole foods – ha. That’s definitely a pro and a con at the same time for me!
Ashley says
Hopefully I will just get used to it and not want to buy everything all the time 😀 Thanks Sarah!
Kristy @ Southern In Law says
This looks soooooooo good! Dinner in a bowl is always better and this bowl looks like it’s packed with flavour!
Ashley says
Thanks Kristy!
Doreen says
This whole food place is wonderful. Shoppers can signup to get discounts or rewards for shopping there. This may help. Maybe make a grocery budget and stick to it. Also come garden with us, for saving on vegetables. We would love it ? Can’t wait to see you.
Ashley says
I will be all a bout the discounts. Budgets… I’m not so great with, but maybe I will get better at it if shopping there 😉
Can’t wait to see you guys too!
Pal says
The bottom two pics make me happier than you’ll ever know. Also, good job overcoming your irrational dislike of onions. xxxxxxx
Ashley says
lol you know the type of food I grew up with! My mom still hates onions to this day. And yes, irrationally so :-p <3
Liz @ I heart vegetables says
This looks amazing! You’re reminding me that it’s been way too long since I had a quinoa bowl. I’m LOVING all those gorgeous colors!
Ashley says
I’d been a while for me too! …Getting rid of pantry items and making delish food out of it 😉 Thanks Liz!
Carly @ Fitliving Eats says
I love Whole Foods! A couple of tips: Shop the 365 brand when you can. Also, grab their coupon booklet at the front of the store and download their app! Also, make friends with the bulk bins. It’s my favorite section! I think once you go a handful of times the “shiny objects” become a little less shiny and you can get in and out by sticking to your plan! Have fun!
Ashley says
Oooh those are def great tips Carly. I will do love being able to shop the bulk bin and I’ve heard the 365 brand is comparable to other stores’ brands too. I will TOTALLY have shiny objects syndrome so I will probably try and keep that in my mind too when I go 😀 Thank you!
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie says
You are going to loooooove the Whole Foods! It is so nice and I am so happy a Whole Foods finally made its way to mid-Michigan! It is so dangerous that it is so close to my apartment that I can easily walk there… every day, haha. I try to just walk there so I have to limit myself to what I buy knowing that whatever I buy I have to carry back home with me.
Ashley says
Maybe I will just ACT like I walked there and only buy what I can carry to my car…? Ha, I see that plan failing miserably.
Jess @hellotofit says
Let’s make a toast to your future Whole Foods adventures…with a shot of this dressing!!!!
Ashley says
Heck yes! Haha thanks Jess!
Felicia says
Ashley, we live less than ten minutes from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Beyond what has already been stated, I learned quickly that my weekly WF trips require a list or I’m easily spending $200 on miscellany. TJs on the other hand, I can easily peruse every aisle, grabbing anything/everything to my heart’s content and have never gone north of $200. Generally speaking, there are times that produce quality everywhere besides WF is lacking so you *have to* spend quite a bit extra on fruits and veggies … but it’s totally worth it. Try to buy seasonal produce that’s on sale as often as you can though. Furthermore, try to shop around for comparison purposes. We actually have a Costco and a Sam’s Club membership because we can save a lot of money on organic goods that we’d spend 50%, 75% or even 100% more on otherwise. If you don’t have a membership, both places will allow you to window shop prior to purchasing your membership; however, of you think it’d be beneficial, you can buy your membership and shop the same day. Just remember that WF can easily become a money-pit if you let it!
Ashley says
Felicia, thank you so much for your comment! You make so many good points. I am getting used to being closer to Whole Foods now but every once in a while I definitely get sucked in to different last minute purchases! Typically I just try not to go unless I know I can’t find the item at my typical grocery store (Meijer or Kroger). But thank you again! I need to start making strict lists 😉
Danita Johnson says
Do you serve it warm? Also with the left overs to you reheat?
Thanks
Ashley says
The temperature is personal preference 🙂 if I am making this to serve right away, I eat warm. But if intending for meal prep to eat to lunches, I typically eat it cold! But really it’s up to you 🙂
Danita Johnson says
Thank you!
Lynette Gerbe says
I was wondering if I could substitute Butternut squash for the sweet potato in case that was all I had on hand? If so, would I be able to cook it in the pan with the onions same as sweet potato?
Ashley says
Hi Lynette! You could definitely sub butternut squash 🙂 the squash may take a little longer to cook in the pan, but other than that should be fine! You could also bake the butternut cubes as well. Probably about 30 minutes at 350. Let me know how it goes!
Tami says
This is delicious, even with substituting brown rice for the quinoa.
Ashley says
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
Gail says
I made this for my lunches this week and IT’S AMAZING!! I made the quinoa and the sweet potato in my Instant Pot (separately). I cooked quinoa at 1 minute high pressure and then natural release. I cooked the sweet potatoes using the steam function, 10 minutes with natural release. I then diced the cooked sweet potatoes into chunks, adding salt, pepper, and a little Adobo seasoning. YUM YUM YUM!!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Awesome Gail! Thanks so much for sharing with me 😀
Ashley says
I feel silly, but what exactly is southwest seasoning?
I haven’t seen anything that says that, so I’m not sure what to use
Ashley says
It’s typically just a blend of “Mexican” flavors. I’ve seen different brands carry a “southwest” blend. So think, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, ancho, etc 🙂 kind of like a taco seasoning!
Vicky says
Hi. Are you referring to canned coconut milk for the dressing or in the container like an almond milk? Thanks.
Vicky says
Hi. Are you referring to canned coconut milk for the dressing or from a carton, like an almond milk? Thanks.
Ashley says
Hi there! Canned coconut milk is going to give you a thicker dressing and better consistency 🙂 Although carton coconut milk can be used, it just wont be as thick. I would suggest using canned if possible.
Jen says
This recipe is wonderful. My 5.5 yo gobbles it up and my husband said he could eat it for lunch and dinner every day for a month. I typically omit extra salt from my cooking, and our palates didn’t miss the omission here. I use a homemade Sazon as my southwestern seasoning for this recipe. After tossing the sweet potato cubes (have also used pumpkin) with the olive oil and Sazon, I roast it in the oven. I’ll also toss the onion and bell pepper with oil and Sazon, and I add them to roast once the sweet potatoes are soft/before they start browning. Then, I let everything roast until dark golden. We serve all of it over spinach, and it makes a delicious salad. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Jen, thank you so much for letting me know! I am so glad it is a household favorite for your family. And thank you for sharing your tips on prepping the veggies! It helps other readers out too 🙂 <3
kristine says
This is one of my go-to dishes. Even the picky hubby loves it!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Yay! So happy you and the husband enjoy 😀 thanks so much for your comment and review!
Lenora Brophy says
Honey is not vegan but you can use agave.
Ashley says
Yes you are correct, Lenora! I will make a note in the recipe page.
Heather Wendell says
Is it okay to use Refrigerated unsweetened coconut milk instead of canned
Ashley says
Yes the dressing just won’t be as thick.