This zesty quinoa Southwestern salad brings collectively flavorful black beans, candy corn, and contemporary tomatoes tossed with fluffy quinoa and creamy avocado dressing.
For those who’re in search of a fast and filling meal to make for lunch this week, you’ve discovered it! This quinoa Southwestern salad is piled excessive with black beans, candy corn kernels, and ripe tomatoes, and topped with zesty and creamy avocado dressing.
Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Salad Recipe
- Satisfying. This quinoa salad is full of tasty Tex-Mex taste. It has creaminess from the black beans paired with crisp corn kernels and juicy tomatoes tossed with tender quinoa and zesty avocado dressing.
- Fast. You’ll have all of the elements prepared within the time it takes for the quinoa to boil.
- Versatile. Serve this zesty salad as a straightforward lunch or facet dish. Turning it right into a full meal is as simple as including your selection of protein!
What Is Quinoa?
Whereas many individuals contemplate quinoa an entire grain, it’s an edible seed of the quinoa plant. Quinoa is a superb supply of plant protein and it’s simple to search out in most main grocery shops. The seeds come in numerous colours corresponding to white, black, or tri-colored, and also you’ll usually discover it in the identical aisle because the grains, rice, and beans.
Quinoa Salad Components
- Quinoa – You need to use any selection you’d like. Cook dinner the quinoa in line with the package deal instructions earlier than you begin.
- Corn and Black Beans – Canned corn kernels and black beans work completely. Bear in mind to empty and rinse them effectively earlier than utilizing.
- Tomatoes – Cube up your selection of full-sized tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
- Avocado – Scoop out the flesh from the peel and take away the pit. Ripe avocados will likely be blackish-green in shade and really feel gentle to the contact (however not mushy).
- Plain Yogurt – You need to use common or low-fat yogurt. Bitter cream can also be substitute.
- Lemon Juice – Or lime juice, freshly squeezed.
- Soy Sauce – I like to recommend low-sodium soy sauce. You can even use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil additionally works nice right here.
- Salt and Pepper
The right way to Make a Quinoa Southwestern Salad
- Cook dinner the quinoa. Boil 2 cups of water for each 1 cup of quinoa. Add the quinoa to the pot, decrease the warmth, and simmer for quarter-hour.
- Drain the corn and black beans. In the meantime, drain after which rinse the canned corn and black beans, and cube up your tomatoes.
- Make the dressing. Mix and mix the avocado dressing elements in a blender or meals processor.
- Assemble the salad. Give the cooked quinoa a fluff with a fork after which switch it to a serving dish. Layer in your corn, black beans, and tomatoes, then drizzle over the dressing (or serve it on the facet).
Recipe Suggestions and Variations
- Rinse the quinoa first. Most quinoa manufacturers come already rinsed, however I like to recommend utilizing a wonderful mesh sieve to rinse the grains below chilly water both manner. Rinsing helps the cooked quinoa style much less bitter.
- You can use contemporary corn and beans. Rather than canned veggies, you possibly can put together dried black beans and shave contemporary corn kernels off corn on the cob.
- For a lighter dressing, swap out the cream avocado dressing with a French dressing, or strive one other simple do-it-yourself salad dressing.
- For those who’d like to regulate the dressing consistency, skinny it out by including water, about one tablespoon at a time. For a thicker consistency, merely add extra yogurt.
- Salad wraps. Dish up spoonfuls of quinoa salad over a mattress of contemporary leafy greens for a quinoa salad bowl or wrap.
- Add cheese. Prime this quinoa Southwestern salad with feta cheese, or crumble over Mexican cotija cheese or queso blanco.
- Extra add-ons. Attempt including on chickpeas, diced avocado, jalapeños, sliced bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or cooked crumbled bacon.
- Grains. Rather than quinoa, layer your salad elements over a mattress of couscous, orzo pasta, or lentils.
Methods to Serve Salad
A simple quinoa Southwestern salad makes an important mild lunch by itself. Prime your salad with hen strips seasoned with taco seasoning, as I do in my Southwest hen salad, or strive including zesty cilantro lime hen or steak fajitas to make it a major meal. I additionally love this salad topped with spicy Mexican camarones al ajillo (garlic shrimp) within the summertime. You can pair this quinoa salad as a facet to extra Southwestern favorites like baked tacos, do-it-yourself hen enchiladas, or this baked salsa hen.
Do You Eat Quinoa Salad Scorching or Chilly?
I often give the quinoa a while to chill off earlier than I assemble this Southwestern-style salad. Nonetheless, you possibly can benefit from the salad heat or chilly relying on the season and your desire. It tastes wonderful, warmed up with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
The right way to Retailer Leftovers
Quinoa salads are nice for meal prep. Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container and refrigerate them for as much as one week. I don’t advocate freezing the completed quinoa salad. Nonetheless, cooked plain quinoa may be saved hermetic and frozen for as much as 3 months.
Extra Quinoa Recipes
For The Creamy Avocado Dressing
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Put together the quinoa by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in 1 cup quinoa, stir, scale back warmth to a simmer, and canopy; cook dinner for quarter-hour.
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Take away from the warmth and let it sit, lined for 10 extra minutes. Fluff with a fork.
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Whereas the quinoa is cooking, put together the greens and the dressing.
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To make the dressing, mix avocado, yogurt, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a blender and mix till clean. Style the dressing and modify it to your liking.
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Organize the quinoa on a big plate and high it with black beans, corn, and tomatoes.
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Toss the quinoa salad with the dressing, or serve the salad with the dressing on the facet.
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Optionally, you would garnish the salad with chopped inexperienced onions, cilantro, and sliced avocado earlier than serving.
- Rinse Quinoa: Earlier than cooking, rinse quinoa below chilly water in a wonderful mesh strainer to take away the coating.
- Cool Earlier than Mixing: Let the quinoa cool for a bit earlier than including it to the salad. This prevents it from changing into mushy and permits it to soak up the dressing higher.
- Embrace Textures: Quinoa salad is flexible, so be at liberty to experiment together with your favourite elements and dressings. You’ll be able to add chopped bell peppers, chickpeas, diced cucumbers, cubed hen, and so forth.
- Serving: This salad may be served as a starter or a light-weight lunch.
- Make Forward: Quinoa may be made forward of time, making it good for meal prep.
Energy: 290 kcal | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Protein: 8 g | Fats: 14 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Ldl cholesterol: 3 mg | Sodium: 111 mg | Potassium: 554 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 580 IU | Vitamin C: 12.4 mg | Calcium: 70 mg | Iron: 2.3 mg
Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could range in line with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
