Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Would you believe today's featured recipe took a year to post?
After preparing this family favorite for my daughter's Cinco De Mayo themed bridal shower, I received a bunch of requests for the recipe. Perfect! I'll send it out to my newsletter subscribers and post it on the blog!
Several batches were prepared throughout the summer and immediately enjoyed. It was early September before I made a batch to photograph. Then it got cold. So here it is a year later. Some things are worth the wait.
Southwestern Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette is one of those things. Light, fluffy quinoa. Black beans. Fresh veggies. Honey lime vinaigrette. Oh Yeah! This salad will rock your world.
Did I mention that I love, absolutely love, quinoa? Dearest quinoa let me count the ways... You cook up light and fluffy in just 15 minutes. Many mistake you for a grain, but you are really a seed from the Chenopodium quinoa plant. Your relatives include beet, chard and spinach. A protein powerhouse, you contain all nine essential amino acids. You have more calcium than milk. Got Quinoa? Manganese, magnesium, B2 and vitamin E Rich with flavenoids and phytonutrients, you are an anti-inflammatory warrior. Easier to digest than grains and you are gluten-free. It is no surprise that quinoa is considered a "superfood"! Make this salad for Cinco De Mayo, a family cook-out or weekday lunches.
Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced tomato, diced
3/4 cup peeled and diced jicama*
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper (or Anaheim), seeded and finely diced
Kernels from 1 ear raw organic/local corn cut from cob*
1 avocado, chopped (optional for garnish)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoons local honey (M
To Prepare Salad:
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Quinoa has a natural bitter coating that dissolves with rinsing. Rinse and repeat. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa, black beans, diced bell pepper, jicama, tomatoes, onion and jalapeno. Stir in the fresh corn and chopped cilantro.
In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, oil and honey until emulsified.
Pour vinaigrette over quinoa, coating well. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve topped with chopped avocado, if desired. Serves 4
* Jicama resembles a brown turnip from the outside and an apple from the inside. It is juicy, crunchy and slightly sweet. Jicama is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Use jicama to liven up salads and crudite platters.
*To ensure your corn is non-GMO, buy organic or ask your local farmer about his farming practices. GMO corn can be found at some grocery stores and you have no way of knowing if what you buy is genetically modified or not.
The beauty of this salad is its flexibility. Not a fan of cilantro? Use flat-leaf parsley instead. Do hot peppers give your beloved heartburn? Use super mild Anaheim peppers instead or leave them out entirely. Think of the recipe as a framework. Feel free to get creative.
This post was originally sent to my newsletter subscribers in May. Now that summer is officially here, I thought it might be a good idea to post here as well.