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This southwestern quinoa salad is by far our favorite quinoa salad. With such great depth-of-flavor and a little smoky kick, you definitely won’t be bored with it. It is perfect for packing for lunch or having as a side with dinner. The textures and flavors abound in this salad.
The Perfect Picnic Salad
I mixed red and yellow quinoa to get more contrast in the final salad. In my humble opinion, my southwestern quinoa salad came out looking as great as it tasted!
Whenever we go antiquing, we like to pack a lunch. It saves a little money and it maximizes our time looking for ‘stuff’. So I’ll make a sandwich or a wrap, and a salad. This salad is a great one for trips since it travels well and isn’t messy to eat!
I make another version of this salad that includes delicious cherry tomatoes among other great things. Give it a try too!
Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth homemade preferred
- ¾ cup yellow quinoa rinsed
- ¾ cup red quinoa rinsed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the dressing:
- 3 limes juiced
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chipotle chili powder or substitute cayenne
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
For the salad
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ medium red onion diced
- ½ cup Roasted red peppers diced
- 1 tablespoon jalapenos minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the quinoa and salt, cover, and boil for 10-15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, vinegar, olive oil and garlic.
- To assemble the salad, place the black beans, corn, onion, red bell pepper, jalapenos, cilantro and quinoa in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add in the dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve, or refrigerate first.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
