Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained (organic if possible)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (organic if possible)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped (organic if possible)
- 4 scallions, chopped (organic if possible)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped fine
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 1/4 tsp. dried cumin
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Directions
Rinse the quinoa in a fine collander under cold running water until the water runs clear. Put the quinoa in a pot with 2 1/4 cups water or chiken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
While the quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss the beans with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Combine the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, cayenne and cilantro with the cooled quinoa. Toss well.
In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, salt and cumin. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss well.
The salad may be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Makes 6 main-dish servings.
Notes
Check out the amount of protein in this tasty dish-11 grams! Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)is one the greatest gluten free complete proteins that feels like a grain, but doesn’t act like a grain. It is a great food for weight loss as it is low glycemic and high protein. The Incas used to refer to Quinoa as the Food of the Gods!