This is recipe became a warm-weather staple at our house once I discovered that my kids really like it. This means that I can send it to school in a container and the container comes back empty. Success!
A colourful protein-rich salad full of flavour that goes well as a side dish with tacos, grilled chicken or quesadillas. Pack it for summer picnics and potlucks and enjoy it as lunch left-overs.
It is also a great salad to bring-along to friends for dinner. It is good to have one or two easy to make salads for gluten-free friends.
The dressing on this recipe is quite mild. For a bolder version, add more cayenne pepper or your favourite hot sauce to the dressing.
Try it! It may become a kids lunch special or a summer staple of yours too.
Black Bean and Quinoa Salad
Colourful protein-rich salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups/400grams of cooked quinoa 1 cup/180 grams of raw quinoa will yield about 3 cups of cooked quinoa
- 2 cups of cooked black beans or 1 15 oz can 1 cup of dried black beans will yield around 2 cups of cooked black beans
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup/180 grams of cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 4 green onions (about 1/3 of a cup/50 grams)
- 1/2 cup/25 grams of roughly chopped cilantro
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup/120 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp of lime zest, zest the lime before juicing it
- Juice of 1 lime, about 2-3 tbsp
- 1/2-1 tsp of ground cumin
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1/4-1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste, I used 1 tsp of salt and ½ tsp of pepper
Instructions
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Whisk together ingredients for dressing and set aside.
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In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix gently. Add dressing, cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.
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Serve at room temperature or chilled.
How to cook quinoa: Place 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.