Description
This Southwest Quinoa Salad with Lime Dressing is RIDICULOUSLY EASY, and cheap to make. All you need is canned black beans, canned corn, your favorite veggies, and quinoa.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup tri-color quinoa (sold in Trader Joe’s)
- 1 3/4 cup water or low sodium vegetable broth (I recommend the veggie broth for more flavor)
- season the liquid for quinoa with 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, as well as a 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or diced
- 1 (15 oz) can Whole Kernel Corn, drained (I like Del Monte Brand)
- 1 (15 oz) can Black Bean (low sodium), drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
Lime Dressing
- 3–4 lime, squeezed & juiced (to your taste of acidity)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt & black pepper to taste (I usually add about 1 tsp of salt)
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to instructions on package. Opt for 1 3/4 cups of liquid to 1 cup of quinoa to reduce risk of overcooking. I’ve found that 2 cups of liquid makes my quinoa too soft. Quinoa should be soft, yet fluffy and grainy. Not overcooked and clumped.
- Once quinoa is cooked let it sit to cool. In a separate bowl, add all the chopped vegetables for the salad, then add the cooled, cooked quinoa.
- Add all the ingredients for the lime dressing in a jar, and shake until fully mixed. You can adjust the ingredients to your taste.
- Next, add the lime dressing on the top, and stir until everything in incorporated & coated.
- The salad should be flavorful, and balanced in flavor. For a well balanced meal, serve with a protein like tofu, fish, chicken, or other preferred protein.
