Creamy Vegan Mexican Casserole with Black Beans, Quinoa, and Bell Peppers (Gluten-Free)

Name: Creamy Mexican Quinoa Casserole with Black Beans and Bell Peppers (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1.5 cup uncooked white quinoa, rinsed; 2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, diced (stem and seeds removed); 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juices); 1, 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 large red onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 cup fresh cilantro; 1.5 teaspoons fine grain salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste); 1 cup filtered water; 1 batch of my Easy Homemade Vegan Cashew Cream (or Vegan Sour Cream); 1 bag From the Ground Up Cauliflower Sea Salt Chips; diced avocado, lime wedges and zest, chopped green onions, jalapeno slices, more fresh cilantro leaves

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Fluffy quinoa, fresh veggies, cashew cream, and a crunchy tortilla chip topping make this Vegan Mexican Casserole the perfect weeknight meal! You don’t even need to boil the quinoa ahead of time, so it’s super easy to make and filled with flavor.

The minute this Mexican Quinoa Casserole appeared on my Instagram I started getting messages asking for the recipe! It’s bright, colorful, filling, plant-based, and so easy to make for a weeknight. What more could you want?! This recipe has all the flavor of my stovetop One Pan Mexican Quinoa & Black Beans combined with the ease of my Vegan No-Boil Pasta Bake. I pulled all of my favorite elements into ONE dish that I really think your whole family will love!

At the beginning of the year I always have both new friends and familiar faces who approach me wanting to add more plant-based meals! I love helping you incorporate delicious meals into your day and it’s my own personal belief that you can enjoy filling, delicious meals that are free of animal products and allergens. This Vegan Mexican Casserole is a perfect example!

I got everything I needed for this recipe at my local Sprouts, where they have vegan items throughout the store and employees who are happy to help find any new-to-you ingredients. I also really appreciate how affordable they make vegan options! For this recipe I used tons of fresh produce, quinoa (which you can buy in the bulk section at Sprouts!), canned black beans, and a bag of From the Ground Up Cauliflower Sea Salt Chips for the perfect Mexican-restaurant flavor made right at home.

Weeknight Meals with Black Beans

I incorporate a lot of black beans into weeknight meals because they’re filled with beneficial nutrients as well as plant-based protein for a well-rounded and filling dinner. Black beans are considered a legume and part of both the protein and vegetable group. They also provide dietary fiber and important nutrients such as iron and zinc. Black beans absorb flavor really well, so I love using them in dishes like this one that have tons of yummy ingredients!

All About Quinoa

Another staple in my plant-based kitchen is quinoa. Fun fact: quinoa has more protein than any other grain! At the same time, it’s light and absorbs flavor wonderfully. I love the texture it adds to my favorite dishes and it’s so easy to prepare. Quinoa is loaded with fiber (one serving has over 5 grams) and is considered a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids. This makes it a great source of plant-based protein for vegans. Quinoa is also a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals. It offers important minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc. Let’s cook with quinoa!

Quinoa Casserole

One of the things that makes this recipe so great for weeknights is that the quinoa doesn’t need to be boiled before it’s added into the casserole. Nope! Just mix it in with the bell peppers, diced tomatoes and their juices, drained black beans, diced red onion, minced garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper in the baking dish. Give it a good stir and pop it in the oven! The quinoa cooks in the oven and really absorbs the other flavors. It comes out fluffy and ready to be eaten!

Vegan Casserole Recipe

This Vegan Mexican Casserole has a really flavorful filling, cashew cream, and a layer of chips for crunch on the top! I really love having my Vegan Cashew Cream on hand. I probably make a batch or two every week! You only need raw cashews (another Sprouts bulk bin buy!), water, salt, and your blender to make this and it adds the most incredible creamy texture to this casserole. I top everything off with From the Ground Up Cauliflower Sea Salt Chips! I really love the crunchy texture the chips add and my kids went wild for it. Chips for dinner?! They were thrilled.

This Vegan Mexican Casserole is gluten-free and vegan! I cannot wait to see you try this recipe and hear what you think. I hope you’ll post and tag me on Instagram if you try it!

More Easy Vegan Weeknight Meals

Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma Bowls

Pasta Fresca

No-Boil Pasta Bake

One-Pot Easy Vegan Black Bean Soup

One-Pot Vegan Pumpkin Curry

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls

Easy One-Pot Pasta

Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers

Vegan Sweet Potato Curry

Instant Pot Tikka Masala

Stovetop Tikka Masala

One-Pan Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans

Mexican Veggie Burrito Bowls

Vegan Greek Sheetpan Dinner

Creamy Mexican Quinoa Casserole with Black Beans and Bell Peppers (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

Author: Elaine Gordon
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 55
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Fluffy quinoa, fresh veggies, cashew cream, and a crunchy tortilla chip topping make this Vegan Mexican Casserole the perfect weeknight meal! You don’t even need to boil the quinoa ahead of time, so it’s super easy to make and filled with flavor

Scale

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1.5 cup uncooked white quinoa, rinsed
2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, diced (stem and seeds removed)
1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juices)
1, 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup fresh cilantro
1.5 teaspoons fine grain salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1 cup filtered water
1 batch of my Easy Homemade Vegan Cashew Cream (or Vegan Sour Cream)
1 bag From the Ground Up Cauliflower Sea Salt Chips

Serve with:

diced avocado, lime wedges and zest, chopped green onions, jalapeno slices, more fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9-inch rectangular baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
Place uncooked quinoa, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and their juices, drained black beans, diced red onion, minced garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper in the baking dish and stir well to incorporate. Add water and stir again. If desired, add additional ingredients in the notes to make it spicier/more flavorful. See notes below.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
While it bakes, add the entire bag of From the Ground Up Cauliflower Sea Salt Chips to a 7-cup food processor. Process for 20-30 seconds until fine. No large chip chunks should remain. Set aside.
Remove from oven and remove the aluminum foil. Stir in the vegan cashew cream and mix well. Top the casserole with the processed chips (one even layer). Bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.
Serve immediately while hot. Garnish with avocado, lime, green onions, jalapeno slices and cilantro if desired. Serve with more chips if desired for scooping!
Store leftovers in an airtight container (once fully cooled to room temperature) in your refrigerator for up to five days. Keep garnishes separate for storage.