Mexican Quinoa Salad

Light & delicious! Use as a side or main dish. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup uncooked quinoa, well rinsed

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups water

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 tbsp lime juice (I used the juice from one whole fresh lime)

1-15 oz can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup frozen corn (I used 1 can corn with no additives, rinsed)

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks

Shredded cheese (I used a mozerella/Parmesan mixed pack)

1 jalapeño seeded and sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

3 tbsp olive oil

PROCESS

1. Put the rinsed quinoa, salt, and water in a pot and bring to a boil. It is best to use a non-stick pot. After it boils, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. 

2. Remove quinoa from heat, place in a large bowl and fluff with fork to facilitate cooling. It is best to use a bowl with a lid for easier storage. 

3. While the quinoa is cooking, prep the remaining salad. First, place the chopped onions in the bowl with the lime juice and allow to soak. This will cut the sharpness of the onion. 

4. Warm up the rinsed black beans and corn. I put both of these in the same pot and just heated them slightly. 

5. Add the tomatoes, jalapeño, black beans/corn mix, cilantro, and onion mix to the bowl of quinoa. 

You can either cover and chill slightly or serve at room temperature. We also added in shredded cheese ,croutons, and a delicious avacado ranch dressing (found at Kroger) to ours. We added grilled chicken as well, but you can leave this off if you are vegetarian/vegan. 

INFO

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 25 min

Feeds: 4-6 servings 

Found original recipe on Simply Recipes. My notations are in italics.