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If you want something light yet flavorful, this Chickpea Salsa Quinoa Rice is perfect for you! Plus, it’s super easy to make with only 8 basic ingredients!

I bought a jar of salsa and open it a few days ago. It would go bad if I didn’t use it up soon, so I was thinking to make my lunch with it, hence this bowl of Chickpea Salsa Quinoa Rice.

I actually winged this one, no planning ahead. I just used what I had at hand, and it turned out super delicious that I think it deserves a recipe post.

This recipe can be as simple as 8 ingredients and 3 steps. But if you want to elevate it to another level, I’ve also got your back!

A peek into this quinoa rice bowl:

This bowl is super simple yet still flavorful.
You don’t need to premade anything. (Get your salsa and chickpeas before we started)
Super nutritious with brown rice, quinoa, and chickpeas.
You don’t need to keep an eye on it, perfect of busy/lazy people.
You can add more to bring this bowl to the next level. (I do share the extra steps below.)

Main Ingredients You Need

Here are the basic ingredients for this rice bowl:

Brown rice & Quinoa
Salsa
ground cumin
Fresh & Dried coriander
Coarsely Ground Black pepper
Cooked Chickpeas (I usually cook my own chickpeas, but you can totally use canned ones from the stores.)

By the way, in case there’s a misunderstanding, I use store-bought salsa so I count it as one ingredient here. It’s more convenient and I think store-bought salsa usually has more depth of flavor.

Optional Ingredients

If you want to bring it to another level, you might want to have:

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Ketchup

How to Make Chickpea Salsa Quinoa Rice

Basic steps:

First, rinse the rice and quinoa. And then add them together with salsa, ground cumin, ground coriander, and cooked chickpeas in the pot. Give it a few gentle stirs, then let it soak for at least 15 minutes.
Cook it in a rice cooker. I use the traditional one in Taiwan. Add 180 ml (1 rice cup) of water to the outer pot. Once it finishes cooking, let it sit for 10 minutes before opening the lid. Then use a spoon to loosen it up.
Depending on the salsa you use, you might want to taste and add salt if you feel like it. Add the chopped fresh coriander and stir all together before serving.

Or, if you want to bring it to another level…

Let’s save the coriander to the last and do a little more:

Heat a non-stick pan over meidum heat. Once the pan is heated, add olive oil, sliced onion, minced garlic, and julienned carrots. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and slightly caramelized.
Then add the cooked salsa-quinoa rice into the pan, stir them together evenly. Add water or vegetable stock if it’s too dry in the pan. Cover and let it sit for about 3 minutes.
Finally, add the chopped fresh coriander and ketchup if you like. Add a bit of lemon juice if you fancy it too! Enjoy!

How to Store Chickpea Salsa Quinoa Rice

If you have leftovers, you can save them in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will last about 3~4 days. And if you want to make it as meal-prep, I will suggest saving the coriander to the last so the taste will be fresh.

Questions You Might Have

What can I use if I don’t have a rice cooker?

If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook the rice and the quinoa in an instant pot and use the “cook rice” option.

Any salsa would work?

I would prone to say yes, at least I’ve tried two jars of salsa from different brands and they both work finely. You can pick them according to your liking.

That’s it! I hope you will enjoy this simple dish as much as I do. If you make them, don’t hesitate to tag me on Instagram! (@barrelleaf) I would be thrilled to see it!

More Vegan Meals:

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