Black Bean & Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 1/3 red onion diced into 1/4" pieces(approx 1/2 cup)*
- 2 ears of corn husks removed and kernels sliced off**
- 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper diced into 1/4" pieces
- 15 ounce can black beams rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half(TIP: use a sharp knife!)
- 1 packed cup fresh cilantro sub fresh herb of your choice
- Optional: 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:
- zest from 1 lime approximately 1 packed teaspoon
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa until there are no small foamy bubbles and the water runs clear, approximately 1 minute, then drain.
- Add quinoa and 2 cups stock to a saucepan (at least 2 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on the lowest possible setting. Cover pot with a lid and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated.
- While quinoa is cooking: combine onion, corn, bell pepper, black beans and cherry tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Make vinaigrette by combining all ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate.
- When quinoa is finished cooking, remove pot from the heat but keep covered 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, uncover and fluff with a fork. Add quinoa to the large mixing bowl with other ingredients.
- Grab vinaigrette from the fridge and pour half of it over your salad, tossing to coat. Refrigerate salad for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Once you’re ready to serve, toss salad with however much extra vinaigrette you want (I use it all), cilantro and pumpkin seeds, if using. Taste and add salt accordingly. Leftover salad will keep tightly sealed in the fridge up to 4 days.
Notes
*Want to cut some of the onion intensity? Add it to a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. Now it should taste more mild!
**I like to twist the ears while wrapped in a dish towel to get any stubborn “hairs” off. Also, I recommend holding the ear with your non-dominant hand while it stands upright in a bowl, then slice vertically to remove kernels. This keeps them from flying everywhere!
