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Quinoa with Cilantro Lime Sauce

Quinoa with cilantro lime sauce is vibrant, tangy, and ready in 25 minutes! It's the perfect vegan and gluten-free side dish to serve with any main course or to make in advance to use for meal prepping healthy meals to eat during the week! You'll never want plain quinoa again after you try this flavor-loaded version.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 108kcal
Author Stacey Eckert

Equipment

  • Medium Pot
  • Blender
  • Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa pre-rinsed
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2.5 oz fresh cilantro (about 1 medium-sized bunch)
  • ½ cup green onions chopped
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • ¼ tsp pink sea salt (add more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Rinse the quinoa before cooking if the package doesn't say that it's already been pre-rinsed. Cook the quinoa according to package instructions or you can follow my fluffy quinoa cooking instructions (located at the beginning of this post). When the quinoa is done cooking, let it sit covered for 5 minutes and then fluff it with a fork.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, make the cilantro sauce. Add 3 tbsp water, 3 tbsp lime juice, 2.5 oz fresh cilantro, ½ cup chopped green onions, 1 garlic clove, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper to a blender cup and blend on high until the sauce is smooth.
  • Transfer the cooked quinoa from the pot to a large mixing bowl. Pour the cilantro sauce over the quinoa and use a large serving spoon to stir until all of the quinoa has been coated with the green cilantro sauce. Keep stirring until all of the sauce has been evenly distributed and quinoa is a light green color.

Notes

  • Make sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking it if the package doesn't say that it's already been pre-rinsed. 
  • You can enjoy this cilantro lime quinoa hot or cold, both ways are delicious. 
  • This recipe makes a large portion of quinoa, which is great for meal prepping or to bring as a side dish to a potluck or party. If you just want a small side dish to serve with dinner tonight, you should halve the recipe.
  • Store the leftover cilantro lime quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for a future meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg