Southwest Quinoa Salad

 

For the quinoa:

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the salad:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup sweet corn, canned and drained (or thawed from frozen)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup red onions, diced
• 1 medium avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes

For the lime dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the quinoa:

1. In a large fine-mesh colander, rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold running water for 1 minute and drain well. (This helps remove the bitter taste in the quinoa).
2. In a medium cooking pot, add quinoa, water, and olive oil. Bring it to boil over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
3. Close the lid and reduce the heat to low. Let the quinoa simmer for 15 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and let the cooked quinoa rest for another 5 minutes. You will notice the grains have popped open. Fluff with a fork.

Prepare the dressing:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Assemble the salad:

1. Add cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, bell pepper, red onion, avocado, and cilantro in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with lime dressing and toss well to coat.
2. Serve immediately or chilled.