This black bean and quinoa salad is one of my most popular recipes. I love that it is so colorful (think phytonutrients) and makes for a pretty presentation. Everything in this salad is extremely good for you so fill up on it and your body will thank you. I love quinoa because it’s gluten free, easy to digest, complete protein, great for endurance athletes, high in B Vitamins, iron, zinc and vitamin E.
This is the perfect dish to bring to a party because
1) you can make it the night before (it’s almost better that way),
2) the recipe is easily doubled or tripled
3) it’s great room temperature or cold
4) it’s dairy-free so no worries about leaving it out for a few hours.
5) It’s also inexpensive to make and keeps well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
ingredients
• 1 cup quinoa, washed and drained
• 2 cups water
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (lots of protein and fiber!)
• 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 5 green onions (think fat emulsifier!)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (great detoxifier)
• Salt and pepper to taste
dressing
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 2 fresh limes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
instructions
Wash and rinse quinoa. In a saucepan bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red pepper flakes and cumin. Combined cooled quinoa, beans, tomatoes and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper
I also added several leaves of spinach at the bottom and topped it with the quinoa! Get creative! I love to mix up this salad adding avocado, peppers, cucumbers or any vegetable will work!
