I cannot even begin to express how amazingly good this Cilantro Lime Quinoa recipe is. I got the idea for it while eating some Cilantro Lime Rice from Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago.
So yummy, but definitely not Weight Watchers friendly.
So I made my own version using quinoa instead of rice, and I added more texture and flavor. I also toasted the quinoa beforehand, which I had seen done in another quinoa recipe, and in my opinion, this made all the difference.
This low-calorie side dish recipe is a much tastier and healthier alternative to Mexican rice, and each serving is just 3 Points. It goes great with your favorite Weight Watchers Mexican Recipes and is loaded with much more nutrition than rice.
I am in love with this Cilantro Lime Quinoa, and I have no doubt you will be too.
Enjoy!
Cilantro Lime Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 cups fat free vegetable broth
- 1 4 oz can green chiles
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 jalapeno - seeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup green onions - chopped
- Zest from 1 lime
- ⅔ cup cilantro - finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and leave it dry. Add in quinoa and toast until quinoa starts to darken at the edges, about 3-5 minutes. Using a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa and set aside.
- Spray a large saucepan with nonfat cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add in onions and garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes. If onions and garlic start to stick to the pan, add a bit of the broth to deglaze.
- Stir in chiles and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add in quinoa and remaining broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add in remaining ingredients and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately.
6 Comments
I just made this last night for a work potluck. I was suppose to bring Spanish rice, which I did. I knew I wanted to stay healthy, so I found this recipe and made a batch. I brought just enough for me because I didn’t think my co-workers would take kindly to having their rice replaced with “healthy food (ick)”.
I have decided that I never need to make rice again. This was WONDERFUL! The taste and texture were perfect. The only thing I did was add some powdered tomato bouillion, cumin, and chili powder to the onions and garlic and I used more canned chilis instead of the jalapeno. Several of my co-workers tried it and LOVED it…and these people do not like “health-foods”.
Making a batch of this tonight to have for lunch this week! Also going to add some sliced Mexican chipotle baked chicken!
How come I can never pin your recipes?
Hmmm….I’m not sure. I tested both the Pin It button installed in my tool bar and my Pin It button at the bottom of a post, and both ways worked fine for me. I’ll look further into it.
I just did this recipe tonight and it was a hit! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
delish! i make something like this all the time :)