Fresh Summer Quinoa Black Bean Salad With Chili-Lime Dressing
Summer salad season is upon us! This quinoa black bean salad is full of flavor and loaded with fresh herbs & vegetables. The Chili-lime dressing is perfect for your summer menu! Use this recipe as a side dish or add grilled chicken to it for a main dish. For busy weekends, this is a perfect grab and go salad packed with nutrition and complex carbs. Did I mention it’s also gluten free? Bonus!
Fresh Summer Quinoa Black Bean Salad With Chili-Lime Dressing
DifficultyMedium
Servings10-12
Prep time15 minutes
Cook time15 minutes
Total time30 minutes
This quinoa black bean salad is full of flavor and fresh vegetables. The combination of veggies and feta are fantastic! The Chili-lime dressing makes this salad a perfect add for your summer menu.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained, (15 oz)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed & chopped
- 1 cup corn, (frozen, canned, or grilled and cut off the cob)
- 1 avocado, large diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese, (I use a bit more to taste)
Chili-Lime Dressing
- 1/3 cup avocado oil, (can sub olive oil)
- juice of 2 limes, (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne, (omit if you don't like heat)
Instructions
To make the quinoa:
- 1
Rinse your 1 cup uncooked quinoa in fine mesh strainer with cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and the quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. For the first few minutes, keep a close eye on this pan to avoid the dreaded “boil-over”. Remove from heat, let it sit for 5 minutes covered, then fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
To make the chili-lime dressing:
- 1
Using a mason jar with lid, combine the lime juice, avocado oil, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Shake to combine well. Set aside.
To make the salad:
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, red bell pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes, black beans, fresh cilantro, corn, avocado and Feta.
Add the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss to coat. Add additional salt to taste.
Notes
This salad is even more beautiful when garnished with additional cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Left-overs keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container refrigerated.
This salad pairs beautifully with grilled chicken!
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