Southwest Grain Bowl With Brown Rice & Avocado Recipe

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This Southwest grain bowl recipe is bright, fresh, and loaded with flavor! With brown rice, quinoa, avocado, vegetables, and a sweet & spicy dressing.

These tasty southwest bowls are perfect for lunch – they are easy to make ahead of time and meal prep well! They are hearty, tasty, and SO good, with a variety of veggies and topped with pecans.

Want more tasty bowl recipes? Try our veggie taco bowl recipe, Hawaiian BBQ tofu bowl, or our favorite tofu shawarma bowls!

southwest black bean bowl with quinoa and brown rice with a spicy jalapeno dressing recipe.

Table of Contents

This recipe is yet another homemade version of a tasty dish we had at a restaurant! We recently had a few great meals at the Alamo Drafthouse, and this Southwest grain bowl recipe was one we absolutely loved and had to make at home.

These Southwest bowls make the perfect meal prep lunches, they are hearty and filling! The zesty dressing takes just 5 minutes to make, and gives each bite a hint of spice. These tasty lunch bowls are going into our regular lunch rotation – all year long!

Why This Recipe Works

The bowls are hearty, satisfying, and have a fantastic variety!
They’re versatile – you can swap in your favorite veggies or beans into this salad bowl.
Great for meal prep – make 1 or 4 lunches at once after prepping.
These Southwest bowls are easy to make – cooks of any skill level can successfully make this recipe.
The 5-minute dressing is bright and flavorful.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients for these Southwest grain bowls like arugula, quinoa, black beans, brown rice, and creamy jalapeno pepper dressing.

Quinoa – I used white quinoa, but you can use tricolored or red quinoa if desired.
Brown rice – a hearty and tasty grain that goes so well with the greens.
Black beans – for a hearty and flavorful addition to this salad.
Tomatoes – I like using cherry tomatoes which are a bit sweeter than larger tomatoes.
Greens – I used arugula as the base of my salad, but you can use any salad greens you prefer.
Pecans – for a super tasty crunch on top!
Cucumber to top
Avocado – adds a creamy, savory element to this salad.
Creamy jalapeno dressing – adds great flavor in just 5 minutes with garlic, jalapeno peppers, olive oil, and mayo.

Additions and Variations

You can add in other fresh veggies as you wish: bell peppers, sliced jalapenos, or corn would all be great additions!
Used a bottled dressing instead of fresh if you like!
Swap the black beans for a different type of bean: chickpeas, kidney beans, or pinto beans would be great substitutions.

How To Make This Recipe

a large bowl filled with quinoa, black beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and brown rice.

Step 1: In a large bowl, add the quinoa, brown rice, arugula, black beans, cucumber, avocado, and cherry tomatoes.

a blender with ingredients for jalapeno dressing being poured in and ready to be blended.

Step 2: Make the dressing: in a blender or food processor, add all the dressing ingredients and mix on high speed until well combined. Set aside.

a hand adding chopped pecans to the top of a Southwest grain bowl salad like the alamo bowl.

Step 3: Top the salad with the pecans.

a Southwest rice bowl meal prep salad with jalapeno lime dressing for a hearty meal idea.

Step 4: Pour the dressing over the salad, and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Can you make Southwest grain bowls ahead of time?

Yes! These tasty grain bowls are great to meal prep and make ahead of time. Follow the recipe below, just omit the avocado. Slice your avocado and add it to the salad right before enjoying, so it doesn’t turn brown.

Can you use store-bought dressing?

Yes! If you can find a jalapeno lime or spicy dressing at the store, it would be a great alternative. The dressing recipe below only takes 5 minutes through, and is definitely worth it if you have the time and ingredients!

Can you use a different grain instead of quinoa?

Absolutely! You can substitute quinoa with more brown rice, farro, barley, or any other cooked grain you prefer.

black bean quinoa southwest bowls with brown rice and a spicy jalapeno lime dressing with vegetables.

More Meal Prep Lunch Ideas

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

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