Let’s talk about quinoa today. I love it and probably don’t share nearly enough recipes with it on my blog. Quinoa is such a versatile ingredient. It’s a great sub for rice, but I have also used it in baking, and it’s even better in a salad! You guys already know how much I love all things Mexican, tex-mex, southwestern (whatever you want to call it!)! I have been really obsessed with black beans lately. I just can’t get enough of them and I want to put them in everything!
This tex-mex quinoa salad is perfectly light, but it still going to fill you up. I tossed in some of my favorite ingredients to add more texture, flavor, and color and then topped it off with a lime vinaigrette dressing. This quinoa salad would be great to eat as a side dish at a summer party, but it also works well just on its own for lunches!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 of a medium-sized red onion, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked fresh corn (you can boil it, grill it, however you want)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
- 3 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
- salt to taste
- 2 tbs. fresh lime juice (add more if needed)
- 3 tbs. olive oil
Instructions
- Put the water into a medium-sized pot. Stir in the salt and quinoa. Bring the water to a boil. Cover and continue to simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water and is cooked (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Transfer the quinoa into a large bowl or container. Let cool.
- Stir in the onion, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeño, and the cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil. Pour the dressing over the salad. Season with salt to taste and serve.
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