It’s a snow day here is Minneapolis. Over a foot of snow is on the ground and my car is stuck and buried. I should have a pot of soup on the stove, or a loaf of bread in the oven. But no, as an act of weather defiance I just made a big batch of salad. Take that old man winter. I’m fighting the winter blahs with this quinoa and black bean salad recipe that’s dressed with a bright and fresh lime and ancho chile vinaigrette. I made the dressing with equal parts lime juice and extra virgin olive oil, but it could probably take more lime juice. (I only had 1 lime and running to the store in a snow storm was not an option!). The ancho chile adds nice flavor, but no heat. If you like a bit of spice add a dash of cayenne pepper or a chopped fresh jalapeno pepper.
Quinoa Black Bean Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Place cooked quinoa in a large mixing bowl; cool slightly. Stir in black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro.
For dressing, whisk together lime juice, olive oil and ancho chile powder. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salad can be served immediately or covered and chilled for several hours. Store in refrigerator.
Makes about 7 cups salad
Tip: Quinoa should be well rinsed before cooking.
Recipe Links:
Lemon Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas
Lemon-Scented Quinoa Salad from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks
Product Link:
Ancient Harvest Quinoa INCA Red Organic Gluten Free – 12 OZ
