Southwest Quinoa Salad
A bright and filling quinoa salad featuring creamy avocado, sweet corn, and a zingy lime dressing. Perfect for lunches, potlucks, and summer BBQs.
Ingredients
Quinoa and Dressing Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa Rinse thoroughly before cooking.
- 1.75 cups water or vegetable broth Use broth for more flavor.
- 1 can black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels Fresh, frozen (thawed), or canned.
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 0.5 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Reserve some for garnish.
- 1 each avocado, diced Add just before serving.
- 2 each limes, juiced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp chili powder
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine-mesh sieve to remove bitterness.
- Combine rinsed quinoa and 1.75 cups water or broth in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Check for doneness: the liquid should be absorbed and the germ should have separated.
- Remove from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- While quinoa cooks, dice the red bell pepper and onion, halve cherry tomatoes, chop cilantro, and prepare the corn.
Making the Dressing and Salad
- Whisk lime juice, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Once quinoa is cool, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add black beans, corn, bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and most of the cilantro.
- Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat.
- Optionally, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours to meld flavors.
- Right before serving, fold in diced avocado gently.
- Garnish with remaining cilantro and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Keep avocado separate until just before serving. Not suitable for freezing once combined with avocado and tomatoes.