Savvy Vegetarian's Mexican Style Quinoa Black Bean Salad

[KristiB]

I've made this a couple of times for my bento box and it is sooooo good!!! You also get your veggies, whole grains and legumes. Healthy!

I'll be putting it on my food blog this week but until then here's the recipe!!


Quinoa Recipe, Vegan Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Black Bean Salad Recipe


4 - 6 Servings: This delicious quinoa black bean salad recipe has a mexican flavor, with black beans, lime, cilantro and jalapeno. Quinoa black bean salad can be served warm or chilled, and keeps well. This recipe is also similar to our tabouleh recipe. Our quinoa black bean salad recipe is a great one dish meal, and goes well with tortilla chips and salsa, or quacamole.

Quinoa has a nutty flavor and texture similar to rice. Quinoa is a good source of complete protein, vitamins and minerals - 25% of the daily iron and magnesium requirement, 10% for Vit E, potassium, and fiber, 20 or so amino acids. Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa is a good source of lysine. Quinoa is also gluten free, and nutritionally higher than wheat for almost everything except complex carbohydrates. It also has more fat than most grains. More quinoa info.

Savvy Vegetarian's Mexican Style Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

* 1 cup quinoa
* 1 1/2 cups cold water
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 cups cooked black beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse well
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* Optional: 1 carrot, peeled, halfed lengthwise, sliced thin diagonally
* Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh yellow or green beans
* 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR 1 Tblsp minced fresh ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, minced, OR 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 red pepper, sliced thin
* 1 green pepper, sliced thin
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp coriander powder
* 2 Tblsp chopped fresh cilantro or basil
* 1/4 cup chopped scallions
* Optional: 1 large ripe tomato
* Optional: 1/2 cup sliced olives
* Dressing:
* 2 Tblsp freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* Fresh ground pepper
* Pinch cayenne or chili powder

Directions

1. The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated
2. Soak the quinoa 1/2 hour in cold water
3. Rinse very thoroughly in water several times. For each rinse, pour off most of the water and finish draining through a large fine mesh strainer
4. Place in 2 qt pot with 1 1/2 c. water and 1/2 tsp salt
5. Bring to a boil, turn down to low, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes covered
7. Fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool.
8. Saute jalapeno, fresh garlic, in 2 Tbsp oil until garlic is browned, pepper and celery are softened
9. Add the green and red peppers and saute briefly
10. Add the cumin and coriander, cook and stir 5 minutes
11. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
12. Gently combine sauteed veggies, tomatoes, black beans, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
13. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro and scallions, and serve warm or cover and chill for later

[twitchy2.0]

Sounds great. I haven't experimented much with quinoa but I make a similar salad using other grains and most recently with couscous.

[KristiB]

Farro is my new obsession and I think it would work here as well.

[LynnieD]

Holy yum!!! Right up my ally---thanks for posting this KristiB!

[twitchy2.0]

I'm going to try it with barley.

[KristiB]

Originally Posted by twitchy2.0

I'm going to try it with barley.

That should totally work

[ang]

mmm, this sounds awesome. i'm going to try it.

[fgg]

i love quinoa. one of the best complete proteins, especially if you are a vegetarian.

[Zee]

Sounds good- will try this one. I love the idea of a bento box instead of a brown bag.