Delicious Quinoa Salad Southwest In 5 Easy Steps
A healthy and delicious recipe for a quinoa salad with black beans, corn, and a zesty lime dressing, perfect for a quick and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
For the Quinoa & Salad
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups corn fresh, canned, or frozen
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Zesty Lime Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Quinoa: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool completely.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the quinoa is cooking, prepare your vegetables. Finely dice the red bell pepper and red onion. If using fresh corn, you can use it raw off the cob or quickly blanch it. If using canned corn, simply drain it.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently toss everything together until all the ingredients are evenly coated. For the best flavor, allow the quinoa salad southwest to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
The quinoa must be fully cooled before mixing with the other ingredients to prevent it from becoming mushy.