Do you want to know two words that make me swoon? Well I can think of several words but the two I’m referring to are cilantro and lime! I love them both but paired together they can take any dish to a new level. I’ve used the lime juice in the plastic lime and frozen cilantro and it was good but nothing compares to using fresh limes and fresh cilantro.
I think the biggest reason is the fresh lime zest. My favorite zester is the Better Zester, it has a zest “catcher” that also measures the amount of zest. I’ve scraped off with zest off with a knife but my zester makes it much easier. I have more recipes coming that use a zester as well, here is a hint: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Lemon, Cake. I don’t want to be too obvious. 🙂
Cilantro Lime Quinoa
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 3 1/2 cups of water (you may need a little more, have 4 cups available)
- 2 limes (you’ll use about 1 Tbsp zest and 1/4 cup lime juice)
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro
Do
- Rinse your quinoa well then cook it in a pot with 3 1/2 cups of water over medium heat. Cover with a lid.
- While the quinoa is cooking zest limes then squeeze the juice into a cup or bowl. You will want to remove any seeds the squeeze out. Also chop cilantro, I prefer to use only the leaves because I don’t like using the stems. Set all of this (zest, juice, cilantro) to the side.
- After about 15 minutes check on the quinoa. When it is mostly done and all of the water has been absorbed pour the lime juice, zest and cilantro into the pot (add salt if desired) and stir well. Cover with the lid and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Use more water if needed.
Serve
I love Cilantro Lime Quinoa with Unfried Black Beans and fresh salsa but you can use your imagination. If you think the quinoa is drying out too fast feel free to use more water, I thought it soaked up the lime juice better by using less. This recipe is difficult to mess up.
This sounds incredibly tasty! I think I’ll have to try it soon : )
I hope you do Anna! It’s my favorite way to eat quinoa right now.
This sounds so refreshing! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Holly,
I love quinoa and I am always trying to find new ways to add some zing to my basic quinoa recipe, so your wonderful recipe for cilantro-lime quinoa does indeed take the flavor of quinoa to a whole new level. I can’t wait to make this! Thank you so much for sharing this healthy and delicious recipe at the Plant-Based Potluck Party. I appreciate it!