Cuban Quinoa Bowl with Sazon Cashew Dressing is loaded with Cuban flavors. This amazing bowl is layered with mixed greens, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro.
On my quest to bring a little Cuba to our table, I did a search for Cuban seasoning because I like to create my own blends instead of store-bought mixes, which can have additives. I came up with this sazon seasoning recipe, which is pronounced just like we say the word season in seasoning.
This Cuban Quinoa Bowl is packed with flavor thanks to a variety of vegetables, grains, and seasoning. There are sweet potatoes, quinoa, black beans, salad with tomatoes, and smashed avocados, all topped with a creamy cashew sazon dressing.
How To Make A Great Cuban Flavored Quinoa Bowl
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cashews in a glass and cover them with hot water, allow to soak for 20 minutes.
- Toss the cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, cinnamon, sazon seasoning, and salt. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Roast in 400-degree oven until just slightly crispy.
- Boil Success boil-in-bag quinoa for 10 minutes, then drain or cook your quinoa according to boxed directions.
- Toss black beans with salt and cilantro.
- For the dressing, drain cashews and place in a vita-mix or small food processor, add the garlic clove, lime juice, olive oil, and maple syrup. Process until smooth
- In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork, then stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
- Assemble the bowls by placing mixed greens in the bottom of the two bowls. Divide the quinoa and black beans, tomatoes, and roasted sweet potatoes between the bowls. Add mashed avocado on top.
- Drizzle with sazon cashew dressing over the whole bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
What is quinoa?
Quinoa is an edible seed that comes in various colors, including black, red, yellow, and white. It is considered an ancient grain, indigenous to South America. When quinoa is harvested, it needs to undergo a process to remove the natural saponins, a bitter-tasting chemical compound coating the exterior that acts as a natural pesticide.
Quinoa is excellent alternative to meat in a bowl. It tends to be higher in protein than other gluten-free grains, and it contains high amounts of fiber and iron. Also, it cooks quickly and is easy on the grocery budget.
Gina’s Shortcut Tip
I realize there are a fair number of steps to this recipe, but it will be well worth your time. The variety of items and favors make this a bowl you will want to make again and again.
To save time, I use Success 10-minute boil-in-bag quinoa. I have had trouble cooking quinoa; it always seemed to turn out gritty or too mushy. However, when I discovered Success 10-Minute Quinoa, it now turns out perfect every time.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
Cuban Quinoa Bowl
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
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Ingredients
Quinoa
- 2 cups quinoa, Cooked. I use Sucess boil-in-bag
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 green onions , small slices of white and greens
Roasted Sweet Potaoes
- 2 sweet potatoes, medium sized,peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sazon seasoning salt, Homemade Sazon recipe
Black Beans
- 1 cup black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- salt , to taste
Smashed Avocado
- ½ cup avocado, sliced
- 2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- salt
Salad
- 3 cups greens, mixed variety
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Sazon Cashew Dressing
- 1/2 cup cashews, raw
- ½ cup water, hot boiling water
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sazon seasoning, Make your own homemade sazon or store bought.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cashews in a glass and cover them with hot water, allow to soak for 20 minutes
- Toss the cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, cinnamon, sazon seasoning, and salt. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roast in 400-degree oven until just slightly crispy, about 20 minutes.
- Boil Success boil-in-bag quinoa for 10 minutes then drain or cook your quinoa according to boxed directions.
- Toss black beans with salt and cilantro
- For the dressing, drain cashews and place in a vita mix or small food processor, add the garlic clove, lime juice, olive oil, and maple syrup. Process until smooth
- In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork then stir in lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
- Assemble the bowls by placing mixed greens in the bottom of two bowls. Divide the quinoa and black beans, tomatoes and roasted sweet potatoes between the bowls. Add mashed avocado on top
- Drizzle with sazon cashew dressing over the whole bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro
