Quinoa Tacos with Beans

You are going to love these quinoa tacos with beans. I have always enjoyed eating vegetarian or vegan at least once a week.

I originally made this as part of the Daniel Fast, when we eat vegan for a couple of weeks. Once you try some of my favorite vegan recipes, like this Italian Bean Soup and these roasted root vegetables, you'll be searching for more Daniel Fast recipes!

My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but I'm working on him! As long as there is a lot of flavor in the meal, he's happy, especially if I follow dinner with one of these Mexican dessert recipes!

These quinoa tacos are all about flavor! With the delicious quinoa mix we'll be making along with the nutrition-packed veggies and fabulous Mexican salsa, everyone will be raving about dinner.

And if you've never made your own tortillas, you have to try this recipe for easy homemade flour tortillas. (Also a super healthy vegan recipe!)

You'll love these quinoa vegan tacos because they're delicious, but they are also super healthy and dairy-free. I recently had my annual physical and found out I have high cholesterol.

As someone who eats really well and exercises, I was a little surprised. I do know elevated cholesterol can also be genetic. My mother had high cholesterol and was on statins for a good part of her life. I lost her last year.

It really hits close to home when you lose someone and then find out the same thing could happen to you. Can you relate?

There's no question that eating a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

You don't have to give up meat permanently, but cutting down will definitely help you live a healthier and, hopefully, longer life. Start with a Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday and go from there!

Using Daniel Fast recipes for a couple of meals per week is another great way to give your body a jumpstart to a healthier lifestyle. This meal is Daniel Fast friendly!

Let's get to that delicious healthy recipe for quinoa tacos! Make sure you have the ingredients for this authentic Mexican salsa recipe for topping your tacos!

What you Need to Make These Recipes

Tortillas We're using whole wheat tortillas as it's the healthier way to go. You could also use corn tortillas or even lettuce wraps. You could also use shells for crispy tacos, but the health benefits aren't as good.

Quinoa You are probably used to eating ground beef in your tacos. Think of this as quinoa taco meat! I think it's the best part of the tacos. There are different varieties of quinoa, with black quinoa being the one with the most fiber. Choose your favorite.

Vegetables We've used a lot of veggies in this quinoa tacos recipe, but feel free to add more! We're using fresh tomatoes, green and red peppers, red onion, corn, avocado, kidney beans, and herbs. Some other ideas could be sweet potatoes or squash. Black olives would also be a great addition. You could also add raw chopped onion sprinkled on top.

Salsa We love salsa around here! For these tacos we're using Mexican salsa. You might even try a couple of different kinds of salsa, like watermelon salsa or peach salsa so there's something for everyone. Place a bottle of hot sauce on the table for those who like a lot of spice.

Instructions

Set a medium pot of water on high heat.

Rinse quinoa in a fine colander under running water for at least a minute. Drain well.

Once the water is boiling, add the quinoa to the pot and reduce heat to medium-low.

Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 20 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the pot from heat. Let the covered quinoa sit for 5 minutes to steam. This will make your quinoa fluffy. 

In the meantime, julienne slice the bell peppers and the onion. 

Slice the avocado into cubes, the tomatoes into quarters, and chop the parsley or cilantro (or even both!) Set aside.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Once the pan is hot, reduce to medium heat and sauté the onion and the bell peppers.

Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Drain the corn.

In the same pan, over medium heat, add the corn to the pan.

Let the corn roast for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Drain and rinse the beans and add them to a skillet with the quinoa over medium heat. Stir well.

Add the corn, bell pepper, and onion, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.

Season with salt & pepper.

Heat the whole wheat tortillas in a non-stick pan until lightly toasted.

Put together the tacos by adding the quinoa mix first.

Next, add the cherry tomatoes and avocado. Top with Mexican salsa and a pinch of cilantro.

I served this with extra cilantro and salsa. You could also serve with lime wedges. Tortilla chips would be a great addition.

You can serve the tacos already made or put everything out and let people make their own.

This makes a fun meal for kids. They might just ask for vegetarian tacos next time!

Frequently Asked Questions

These quinoa tacos are filling, but there's always room for dessert! Let's stick with our healthy theme and make this jello parfait recipe or these dark chocolate Weight Watchers brownies.

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