One of my clients wants to eat more plant based. Her husband eats a lot of meat.
This is a salad I made for her, in addition to the Buddha Bowl. Both come together easy and she has the option to just have the salad or dip into some of the meat or chicken her husband is having too.
Enjoy this salad hot or cold
Southwest Quinoa Salad with black beans, cherry tomato, red pepper, cilantro
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed (I use Eden brand)
- ¼ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red pepper, diced (I used half a yellow and red one)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, onion, cherry tomatoes, diced red pepper, and chopped cilantro.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and gently toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You can add more lime juice, cumin, salt, or pepper according to your preference.
- Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serve the Southwest Quinoa Salad chilled or at room temperature. You can garnish it with additional fresh cilantro leaves if desired.
