Southwest Quinoa Salad

31 January 2020 Bookmark • 0

A healthy Southwest Quinoa Salad with zesty lime vinaigrette. This cold quinoa salad are often made ahead for meal prep lunches or dinners.

Quinoa may be a great base for salads because it soaks up the flavors of the dressing and seasonings until it's extra flavorful. This southwest quinoa salad has crunchy red bell pepper, sweet corn and black beans. The flavors of chili and lime make the right southwest dressing!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

I love to form a batch of this quinoa salad on Sunday then eat it for lunch during the week. It’s filling and additional tasty with homemade guacamole. I divide it into individual meal prep containers for grab and go lunch portions.

Quinoa is one among my favorite superfoods because the small seeds contain such a lot nutrition. Quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids, which makes it an entire protein. This makes quinoa an excellent source of protein in vegetarian meals.

You can make this southwest quinoa salad with white or red quinoa. All quinoa features a nutty, earthy flavor. This flavor is stronger in red quinoa and milder in white quinoa. Red quinoa also features a chewier, almost crunchy texture.

INGREDIENTS:

For the salad:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup quinoa well rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
1 cup canned corn drained
15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper chopped
4 green onions sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

For the lime vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

guacamole or avocado if desired

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the quinoa and vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 12-16 minutes. Remove from the heat.
While the quinoa cooks, prepare the lime vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk (or shake in a jar with a lid) until well combined.
Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl and stir in the corn, black beans, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro. Add the dressing and stir gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Serve salad warm or cold, with guacamole or sliced avocado if desired.