Crunchy red pepper, sweet corn, creamy avocado, cilantro and a tangy lime dressing make this quinoa salad a perfect summer staple!
I actually started making quinoa salad long before I went vegetarian or vegan. One day years ago I was invited to my friend’s birthday party who happened to be vegetarian and everyone was to bring a dish for dinner. I thought…”What the heck am I going to bring?” At the time basically everything that I cooked had meat in it.
It was a summer party so I thought a quinoa salad would work as a side dish. I felt much more comfortable following a recipe, so I ran across the Zesty Quinoa Salad from Allrecipes and made that and it was delish. Woohoo…I didn’t mess up my vegetarian dish! It was a proud moment for me.
Since then I have made quinoa salad about a bazillion times in a variety of ways. I wanted to make one that was more filling and that could be eaten as a meal itself. While after perfecting the recipe many times, I have found the mix of ingredients that are the absolute best! The quinoa and red beans provide the protein, green onion and red pepper give the salad a crush, the corn provides a hint of sweetness, the avocado makes it slightly creamy, and the cilantro and lime combination give it a zesty freshness that sets it over the top.
This quinoa salad is super easy to make. You just chop everything up, mix it together, and let it chill for a couple of hours. It is important to let it chill for at least two hours, but preferably overnight. Trust me, the taste is completely different after all of the flavors meld together!
This quinoa salad is a perfect side dish to bring to a BBQ or any summer party. It is a go-to for me and never fails, it is always a huge hit! Many times during the summer usually like to make a big batch of this quinoa salad as meal prep and eat it throughout the week, it is hearty enough that is perfect to eat for lunch. I also make it for weekend trips in the van when we are going climbing, as it is super convenient to store in travel containers and keep in our backpacks.
So why is everyone so crazy about quinoa?
Yes there is a lot of hype around quinoa, but rightfully so! Here are a few of the health benefits:
- Quinoa is nutritionally dense, naturally gluten-free and high in protein with 8 grams in one cup.
- It is one of the only plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids, making it one of the few plant foods that is considered a complete protein.
- Quinoa contains large amounts of antioxidants called Quercetin and Kaempferol, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant effects.
Bottom lime…quinoa is healthy AF. You should definitely be eating it.
Another cool fact is that NASA scientists see it an acceptable crop to be grown in outer space! It is fairly easy to grow and has a high nutritional content, perfect for astronauts. Pretty crazy, huh?
Quinoa Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 can red kidney beans (14oz/400g)
- 4 spring onions, chopped green parts included
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 1 small can corn (4oz/140g)
- ½ cup (packed) cilantro (chopped, hard stems removed)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 3 limes, juiced (6tbs- zest before juicing!)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp red chili flake
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 avocados, chopped
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, add the 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of salted water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover. and cook for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This will yield 3 cups of quinoa.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa, kidney beans, spring onions, red bell pepper, and corn. Mix well.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, red chili flake, and salt. Add the vinaigrette and cilantro to the quinoa mixture and mix well.
- Mix in the chopped avocados and allow to chill in the fridge for at least two hours or better overnight. This quinoa salad will stay good for about 3 days in the fridge. Enjoy!
Absolutely loved it! Made it for a barbecue and it disappeared as easily as it was made. Thanks for the recipe.