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Looking for an easy, yet tasty casserole to cook this week? Youโre going to love this black bean quinoa casserole. Itโs packed with veggies including butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers so it really delivers on flavor!
Casseroles are the ultimate comfort food! Theyโre a hearty and satisfying dish thatโs easy to prepare and cooks up in one pan! This quinoa casserole made with quinoa and beans is protein-packed making it perfect for vegan and vegetarian diets!
If you enjoy the ease of casseroles, you might also love this sweet potato and cauliflower casserole and easy spinach polenta pie.
Why This Recipe Works
- An easy way to use up the veggies in the fridge.
- Doubles as a side or main dish!
- A delightful southwest quinoa casserole that tastes amazing and even your non-vegan eaters will enjoy it.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Here are the basics of what’s needed to make quinoa casserole. Check the recipe card below for the detailed ingredient list.
- Quinoa: This healthy grain is packed with protein making it perfect for a vegan main dish.
- Vegetables: Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, and garlic are steamed and blended to make the sauce for this quinoa casserole. Use fresh butternut squash or frozen to save some prep time.
- Nutritional yeast and miso paste: Both of these ingredients add tons of flavor to this dish. Miso brings a salty, umami flavor while the nutritional yeast adds some ‘cheesiness’. Learn more about cooking with nutritional yeast here.
- Veggie broth: Swap with veggie bouillon if you prefer.
- Stone-ground mustard: Another layer of flavor in the dish. You can also use dijon mustard.
- Onion powder: A handy pantry staple for adding onion flavor to any dish quickly and easily.
- Jalapeรฑo: Adds a little heat to the casserole.
- Red pepper: For color and sweetness.
- Black beans: A great way to use canned black beans or you can make this even more budget-friendly by buying dry black beans in bulk and cooking them from scratch.
- Corn: Use canned corn or frozen corn for convenience.
How To Make Vegan Quinoa Casserole
This vegan quinoa bake goes together in just a few steps. Here’s an overview of what you need to do. See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
- 1) Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. When itโs ready, set it aside.
- 2) Steam the butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, and three garlic cloves in a steamer basket (or however you steam) until tender.
- 3) When the veggies are cooked, add all the steamed veggies to a blender or food processor along with the remaining garlic clove, miso paste, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, ground mustard, onion powder, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- 4) Mix together the sauce, cooked quinoa, jalapeรฑo, red pepper, beans, and corn.
- 5) Transfer it to an oven-safe dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Use shortcuts such as frozen butternut squash and canned beans to save time when making this dish!
- Donโt want it spicy? Swap the jalapeno for green chilies or simply leave them out!
For a similar ingredient, you can swap it with any winter squash such as pumpkin, acorn squash, delicata squash, and buttercup squash. They all have a similar texture and flavor.ย
I suggest sticking with white or a tri-colored blend. Red and black quinoa retain more crunchiness when cooked and donโt work so great on their own in this dish.
Variations
- Swap out the beans for pinto beans, kidney beans, or a mixture of beans.
- Add more veggies: Swap out any of the veggies with ingredients you have on hand. Cooked broccoli, spinach, zucchini, and cauliflower all blend up nicely!
- Have leftover brown rice? Use it in place of half the quinoa!
How to Store
- Refrigerator: After cooling, store it in a well-sealed container in the fridge for up to five days.
- Freezer: Butternut squash quinoa casserole freezes great! Allow it to cool completely and then store it in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before heating up again.
- Reheat: Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish and heat at 350ยฐ F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. You can also heat it in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.
How to Serve
- Main dish: Since it’s mostly a one-bowl meal, pair it with a simple kale salad, vegan coleslaw, or quesadilla.
- Side dish: It goes great with savory tofu dishes or your favorite vegan patty!
- Toppings: Want to jazz it up even more? Add some yummy toppings such as vegan sour cream, vegan nacho cheese, salsa, or even pepitas!
- Repurpose leftovers: Use them as a filling for vegan burritos, tacos, or quesadillas.
More Quinoa Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Easy Black Bean Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
- 12 ounces of ยฝ-inch cubed butternut squash
- 3 small carrots sliced
- 1 small sweet potato cut into ยฝ-inch cubes
- 4 garlic cloves divided
- 1 Tablespoon of miso paste
- 2 Tablespoons of veggie broth
- 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon of stone-ground mustard
- ยฝ teaspoon of onion powder
- ยผ teaspoon of salt
- 1 large jalapeรฑo diced
- ยพ medium red pepper diced
- 15 ounces of black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces of canned corn drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, and set aside.
- Steam butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, and 3 garlic cloves in a steamer basket (or however you steam).
- When cooked, add all steamed veggies to a blender or food processor along with remaining garlic clove, miso paste, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, ground mustard, onion powder, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Mix the sauce into the quinoa along with jalapeรฑo, red pepper, beans, and corn and put into an oven-safe dish.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Notes
- Use shortcuts such as frozen butternut squash and canned beans to save time when making this dish!
- Donโt want it spicy? Swap the jalapeno for green chilies or simply leave them out!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This is incredible! Using this for a meal prep lunch for the week :).
Love to hear it! This casserole is definitely ana awesome meal prep meal!
Love it looks sooo good!
So delicious, so easy, so filling!
This casserole is very cozy and makes my belly happy. Give it a try!
Agreed! It’s a super cozy one alright!
Love all the veggies packed into this casserole!
Right?! Such a delicious and veggie-filled dinner!
I’v been looking for a protein packed one dish meal for my family forever and this one is such a winner!
Gotta love the one dish recipes! So easy!
this looks like a great casserole, i don’t usually cook with quinoa but this sounds delicious
You’d love it! The quinoa makes it incredibly tasty and filling!
Love how filling and simple this casserole is to whip up!