Your new favorite bowl recipe is here! Avocado Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Vinaigrette for the win!
Remember the good old days when we used to have people over for dinner and cook a big spread. The question my guests would ask most frequently is do I cook like this every night!? And the answer is a big fat no. I cook a few times a week and then mix and match those recipes to make delicious lunches and dinners for us. For example, if I cook a big pot of quinoa - I'll turn it into various things through the week to keep things exciting. These Avocado Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Vinaigrette are a result of just that! That's exactly what I've been doing this year too because things are hectic with a new baby and I'm trying to keep it simple!
Adding a few giant spoonfuls of my self-proclaimed famous cilantro vinaigrette, stirring in some toppings and adding grilled shrimp couldn't be easier or more addictive. It's one of those recipes that you can have for lunch or dinner and add various proteins if you prefer. Chicken, shrimp (like I did here), salmon, steak, the possibilities are endless and it travels well so you can throw it in your bag before you head out the door to work!
Want some other easy meal / bowl ideas - here ya go! Southwestern Brown Rice Bowl. Quinoa Burrito Bowls.
Check out some of my favorite Shrimp Recipes here:
Avocado Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Cilantro Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
For the Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves tough stems removed
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Grilled Shrimp:
- ½ pound medium sized shrimp peeled and de-veined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon chipotle pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Toppings:
- Black Beans
- Sliced Avocados
- Raw or grilled corn sliced off the cob
- Shredded Romaine Lettuce
For the Pico de Gallo
- 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes cut into ¼- to ½-inch dice
- Kosher salt
- ½ large white onion finely diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 jalapeño finely diced (seeds and membranes removed for a milder salsa)
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Combine all the ingredients for the cilantro vinaigrette in a high powered blender and blend for 60-90 seconds until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Fold half the vinaigrette into the quinoa, taste, add more if needed.
- Toss the shrimp with the oil, cayenne, garlic powder and chipotle pepper as well as salt and pepper. Grill on an indoor or outdoor grill pan for about 3 minutes on each side until pink and fully cooked.
- Combine the ingredients for the pico de gallo in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning and spice level as needed.
- Divide the quinoa into 4 bowls and top with desired amounts of black beans, avocado, corn and shredded romaine. Sprinkle with pico de gallo and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Do you think I could replace the quinoa with cauliflower rice?
absolutely!
Simple, flavorful, delicious. My kind of perfect meal.!
I have a cilantro aversion/allergy (tastes like soap) what can I use instead?
basil would be delish as well!
This took way longer than 30 minutes to prep the first time however I foresee that it will be less and less time as I develop a routine. Let me tell you. This was so delicious it will definitely be on a weekly menu! Thank you for a great recipe. The cilantro dressing is stunning!
This might be a totally stupid question but my family hate cilantro, do you have any subs that might work with this vignette?
basil would be great!
Made it with basil and it’s delicious!
So so good! The perfect weeknight dinner - it’s quick, healthy, and delicious!
This is the most amazing dish and my new absolute favorite!
Made this last night, and WOW! I can't wait to eat left overs for lunch. I am obsessed with cilantro vinaigrette. I made extra to freeze.
Omg - this is my family’s FAVORITE dinner of all time!!! Soooo delicious! I substituted pineapple for the tomato in the pico and it was insanely delicious....just happened to have a pineapple and forgot tomatoes at the store. The sweet of the pico so balances the spice of the shrimp. And the cilantro vinaigrette is just insanely good. AMAZING recipe! Thank you!!!
So delicious!! Will be making again. Used 3x the shrimp so doubled the spices on the shrimp. Will lay off on the spice next time I use more shrimp.
Followed the recipe exactly & it was perfect!
So so good!! Unfortunately the grocery was clean out of cilantro so I added some salsa into the quinoa so give it some extra personality, and bit or coriander into the pico.
This was delicious! The dressing is one of my new favorites.
This recipe is super delicious. While there are a number of components, they truly make the dish very tasty. I'm going to try it with chicken next time.
Amazing! It tastes just as good as it looks. Great Spring/Summer meal... Definitely keeping this one in our rotation.