Southwest Quinoa Salad
A colorful make-ahead salad of fluffy quinoa, black beans, sweet corn, crisp bell pepper, and juicy tomatoes tossed in a bright lime-olive oil dressing.
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 20 min · Yield: 6 · Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 cup corn
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
- 0.5 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 medium limes
- 0.25 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water. Combine it with the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (about 5 min) — Boiling
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool to room temperature. (about 20 min) — Low heat
- While the quinoa cools, drain and rinse the black beans, thaw the corn if frozen, dice the bell pepper, halve the tomatoes, and chop the cilantro. (about 10 min) — Room temperature
- Whisk the juice of the limes with the olive oil, cumin, salt, and black pepper. (about 3 min) — Room temperature
- Combine the cooled quinoa, beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss gently to coat. (about 5 min) — Room temperature
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors blend. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. (about 30 min) — Refrigerated