One-Pot Quinoa and Black Beans
Quinoa, instant black beans, and enough chili powder to make it worth carrying.
- calories
- 700
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 127
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 18 min
- total time
- 20 min
- water
- 550 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Quinoa | 1/2 cup | rinse and dry it at home so it does not taste soapy |
|---|---|---|
| Instant black bean flakes | 1/2 cup | canned beans are cheaper at home, useless in a pack |
| Dried bell pepper and onion | 1/4 cup | any color pepper, they cost the same dried |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Chili powder and cumin | 1 tbsp total | |
| Bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Bring 450 ml of water to a boil with the bouillon, dried pepper and onion, and the spices.
- Add the quinoa. Simmer covered on the lowest flame you can hold for about 12 minutes, stirring once so nothing welds to the bottom.
- Cut the heat when the grains have uncurled and the water is nearly gone. Let it sit five minutes with the lid on.
- Stir in the bean flakes with the last 100 ml of hot water. They thicken fast, so add water before you think you need it.
- Pour the oil over the top, salt it, and eat out of the pot.
This started as a stovetop dinner with canned beans and a fresh pepper. Neither survives a pack, so the beans become instant flakes and the vegetables get dried. The spice load stays the same, which matters more than it sounds: quinoa and beans are both flat on their own, and the chili and cumin are the entire flavor budget.
Order is the only real technique here. Quinoa needs a genuine simmer and about twelve minutes; bean flakes need almost nothing and will glue the pot shut if they go in early. Cook the grain first, thicken with the beans second, and the whole thing stays one pot and one wash.
Packing
Quinoa, beans, vegetables, and spices go in one bag, but keep the bean flakes in a twist-tied inner bag so you can control when they hit the water. Oil rides separately.
Variations
- Swap instant rice for the quinoa if that is what the resupply store has. Cheaper, cooks faster, less protein.
- A foil packet of salsa or a squeeze of lime powder at the end cuts the starch.
- Crumbled corn chips on top for fat and crunch.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/cheap-dinner-recipes