This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I know we’re all looking for easy pantry recipes right now, so I’m sharing a new one for you today! This is a super easy recipe that’s made in one pan in less than 30 minutes… and it’s completely vegan! I’ve got the Vegan One-Pan Southwest Quinoa recipe at the end of this post, but keep reading for some ingredient tips (including substitution and topping options if you don’t have all of these items in your pantry or want to customize the recipe a bit).
One of the things I always keep in my pantry or fridge are jars of Better Than Bouillon. If you’ve used Better Than Bouillon yourself, then you know how rich and flavorful they are, and how they enhance your usual recipes. What you might not know is how versatile they are! While they can be used to replace almost any type of broth or bouillon in a recipe, they can also give a flavor boost to nearly any savory meal you make with whatever you might have in your pantry! You can use it as marinades for grilled recipes, as an addition to soups and stews, mixed with some oil to toss vegetables in for roasting, as a glaze for meats and seafood, as an addition to casserole sauces when you feel like your recipe just needs a little “something” extra, to make gravies, and so much more. Basically, whatever your family makes, you can enhance it with some Better Than Bouillon. Check out the Better Than Bouillon website for lots of recipe and usage ideas.
In case you didn’t know, Better Than Bouillon has several different flavors. I’ve tried almost all of them and have liked every one I’ve tried. They have meat bases (like Roasted Chicken, Roasted Beef, Turkey, and Ham), vegetable bases (like Mushroom and the certified vegan Seasoned Vegetable Base that I used for today’s recipe), seafood (like Lobster, Clam, and Fish), and other seasoning bases (like Chili and Roasted Garlic – another of my favorites). With so many options that are all so versatile, you can see why I always have some at home to use in my everyday cooking with items I have in my pantry.
For the One-Pan Southwest Quinoa recipe I’m sharing today, I used Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. The base is certified vegan, which helps keep today’s recipe vegan-friendly and sustainable if you, like me, are trying to add more plant-based meals to your diet. One teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon substitutes for one bouillon cube in recipes, and when stirred into a cup of boiling water, replaces one cup of prepared broth. For my One-Pan Southwest Quinoa, I mixed one teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base into one cup of boiling water to add to my recipe in place of plain water for cooking the quinoa. This makes the recipe MUCH more flavorful than water alone!
Substitution ideas for this One-Pan Southwest Quinoa Recipe
Since this is a pantry meal, I’ve got some substitution options for today’s recipe in case you don’t have all the ingredients on hand. Here are some options for you:
- Olive oil: You can substitute vegetable oil.
- Onion: You can substitute a red or green bell pepper, or you can skip this ingredient if you don’t have an onion, and it won’t impact the outcome of the meal that much.
- Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base: You can substitute Roasted Chicken Base, but keep in mind that the meal will no longer be vegan.
- Black beans: Kidney beans or pinto beans are good substitutes, or you can skip this ingredient.
- Corn: You can substitute 1 cup of frozen corn for the canned corn, or just skip this ingredient altogether.
- Canned diced tomatoes: You can substitute a comparable amount of jarred salsa, a can of diced tomatoes with chilies, or chop other canned tomatoes (if you have whole, sliced, or fire-roasted canned tomatoes).
- Chipotle seasoning: You can substitute chili powder if you don’t have chipotle powder. If you have canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, use 1/2 – 1 whole chipotle pepper (depending on your spice preferences) from the can, minced.
- Lime: If you don’t have a lime, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of bottled lime juice, juice from a lemon, or skip this ingredient altogether.
Vegan and Non-Vegan topping ideas for this One-Pan Southwest Quinoa
If you have them on hand, these are delicious topping ideas for serving One-Pan Southwest Quinoa. Keep in mind that these are not all vegan:
- Salsa
- Diced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
Here’s how it turned out!
So yummmm…
Here’s the recipe! Be sure to pin this one to your vegan, plant-based, and #MeatlessMonday recipe ideas boards!
Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 25 minutes |
Servings |
servings
|
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can corn drained
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lime
Ingredients
|
|
- Heat 1 cup of water to a boil, then mix in the Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base, stirring until the seasoning has dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the quinoa to the pot and stir into the onion and oil mixture. Saute, stirring, for 1 minute more.
- Add the reserved Better Than Bouillon and water mixture to the pot along with the black beans, corn, diced tomatoes (with their juices), seasoning salt, oregano, garlic powder, chipotle, paprika, cumin, and pepper. Stir until well combined, and bring to a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the quinoa has softened.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the juice from 1 lime.
Substitution Ideas: Since this is a pantry meal, I've got some substitution options for today's recipe in case you don't have all the ingredients on hand. Here are some options for you:
- Olive oil: You can substitute vegetable oil.
- Onion: You can substitute a red or green bell pepper, or you can skip this ingredient if you don't have an onion, and it won't impact the outcome of the meal that much.
- Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base: You can substitute Roasted Chicken Base, but keep in mind that the meal will no longer be vegan.
- Black beans: Kidney beans or pinto beans are good substitutes, or you can skip this ingredient.
- Corn: You can substitute 1 cup of frozen corn for the canned corn, or just skip this ingredient altogether.
- Canned diced tomatoes: You can substitute a comparable amount of jarred salsa, a can of diced tomatoes with chilies, or chop other canned tomatoes (if you have whole, sliced, or fire-roasted canned tomatoes).
- Chipotle seasoning: You can substitute chili powder if you don't have chipotle powder. If you have canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, use 1/2 - 1 whole chipotle pepper (depending on your spice preferences) from the can, minced.
- Lime: If you don't have a lime, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of bottled lime juice, juice from a lemon, or skip this ingredient altogether.
Topping Ideas: If you have them on hand, these are delicious topping ideas for serving One-Pan Southwest Quinoa. Keep in mind that these are not all vegan:
- Salsa
- Diced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
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