This Mexican quinoa salad will blow you away with all Mexican flavors to it. While quinoa cooks prep most ingredients so you have it ready in 20 minutes. It might not be traditional Mexican salad and quinoa might not be Mexican at all, but it is for sure one healthy Mexican-flavor inspired salad. It’s loaded with veggies and dressed in the simplest salad dressing – cumin lime dressing.
2cupsvegetable or chicken brothor any low sodium broth
1can15 oz sweet corn kernels
¾can black beans
⅓cupred onionsdiced
3medium ripe tomatoesdiced
⅓cupbell peppersdiced (mix of red and yellow bell peppers)
1or 2 jalapenosadjust as per spice tolerance level
¼cupcilantrochopped
Salt to taste
¼cupCojita cheesecrumbled (we skipped cheese)
For dressing
3tablespoonolive oil
1teaspooncumin powder
2teaspooncayenne pepper
1clovegarlic
Juice of 1 lime
¼teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Rub and swish quinoa with your hand while rinsing. Add quinoa into the broth with a pinch of salt. Bring it to boil. Turn down the heat, cover and cook until done, about 15 minutes. Uncover, you should see tiny spiral around the quinoa seeds. Gently fluff it with fork and let it cool.
While quinoa cooks let’s prepare rest of the ingredients for the salad. Dice onions, tomatoes, bell peppers. Roast corn kernels until it gets charred. Finely chop jalapenos, cilantro. Whisk all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl and set aside.
In a salad bowl mix prepped black beans, corn kernels, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, salt. Add cooled quinoa lime dressing and mix well.
Serve immediately at room temperature.
Notes
Use fine mesh sieve to rinse quinoa that will get rid of the bitter saponin coating from it. Cooking quinoa in vegetable or chicken stock enhances more flavors to otherwise bland and boring quinoa!You can mix it up with any of your favorite vegetable in this salad. Go ahead and add few pieces of grilled chicken to the salad bowl if you aren't vegan.Always pour the dressing only just minute before serve. Dressed salad unfortunately doesn’t sit well for very long.Make sure to serve the salad the same day if you add spinach or avocado to it.Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.