This dish takes a little time and effort to make, but it’s definitely worth it! I originally started making this dish for work, but loved it so much I started making it at home too. It’s been a big hit both places!

This dish actually tastes better as it sits – it tastes fantastic right away, but it’s a great dish to keep in the fridge and pack for lunch all week.

Quinoa is such a great blank canvas to start a dish with – you can add just about any combo of flavors to it to create a meal. It works well with savory or sweet flavors. You can make so many dishes ranging from something super savory like this recipe or add cinnamon, dried fruits and nuts to create a sweet breakfast dish.

In this recipe the ancho chili powder, cumin, coriander, and fresh cilantro make for a wonderful combo when added to the quinoa and sweet potato. And the fresh lime juice brightens everything up!

With this recipe and most others, the amount of spices and flavoring you add, is completely up to you. If you’re not a fan of a certain flavor, you can reduce the amount you add or don’t add any at all.

I can’t tell you how many times I have removed spices all together from a recipe. I’ve always cut back on spices because my mom isn’t a fan of spicy food. That’s actually how I discovered ancho chili powder, it has a warm smoky heat instead of a hot heat.

Ancho Chili Sweet Potato Quinoa

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa, uncooked
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 teaspoons ancho chili powder
A few pinches ground coriander

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Add 2 cups of quinoa and 3 1/2 cups of water to a medium pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, stirring throughout the cook time, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Prep sweet potato, red onion, and cilantro.

4. Place sweet potatoes on a sheet pan, drizzle heavily with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, ancho chili powder, and coriander to taste. Toss to coat, bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool.

5. In a small skillet, sauté onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. A few minutes before they are done cooking, add cumin, ancho chili powder, and coriander to taste. Set aside.

6. In a large mixing bowl, toss together quinoa, roasted sweet potato, sautéed onion, and cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and add the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

7. Serve at room temperature or cold. Enjoy!

 

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If you have any questions, comments, or recipe requests, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me. Also, if you make this recipe, please let me know what you think!