This has been popular at all the potlucks that I’ve taken it to and great as a one-dish meal. You can’t go wrong with this tasty quinoa salad!
Isn’t quinoa a funny little grain? (Well, I’ve been told it’s not a grain…it’s a seed.)
Either way, it’s a tasty and cute little grain-like food that can replace rice in most recipes. It packs quite a nutritional punch too! It is 15% protein and it is one of the few plant foods that is a complete protein.
Just one-half cup of cooked quinoa has about 111 calories, 1.8 grams of fat, 2.6 grams of fiber and 4.1 grams of protein. The USDA reports that quinoa is abundant in vitamin E, folate, B vitamins, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and even a small amount of calcium.
So, there’s your little quinoa lesson for the day!
I call this a salad, but it can be much more than that. You can serve it with tortilla chips as a dip, or wrap it in a tortilla with your favorite cheese sauce (do I need to say non-dairy? Or spell it cheeze? I don’t think I do.) You can also get all fancy, like I did for the picture, and make little fluted corn tortilla cups. What ever you do, make sure you can get large amounts in your mouth repeatedly.
As I say on most of my recipes…make it your own. Add avocado, use fresh tomatoes instead of salsa, substitute a different bean or try black-eyed peas. That will make it more of what is known as Cowboy Caviar. One of my favorite things to add (if I don’t have to worry about it being too spicy for anyone) is Trader Joe’s Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa. It’s sweet and hot and I dump in half a jar! I also put a bottle of my favorite hot sauce next to it so I can douse mine heavily. Tabasco Buffalo Sauce….yum!
Take it to the next potluck and watch it disappear. Look at that…excellent party food, happens to be gluten-free, oil-free and vegan. You don’t even have to mention any of those things if you’re in a crowd of meat and dairy eaters. They’ll eat it and love it without a thought to what’s NOT in it. A WIN for everyone.
*Here’s a tip to make your cooking easier.* Gather all your ingredients before you start. Chop everything that needs chopping. Measure it all out. When it comes time to put everything together, you’ll be so glad you that you know you have everything you need (or have found substitutions) and all you have to do is throw it together according to the recipe instructions.
Do I do follow this little tip? Not so much. And I wish I did it every time. My mom taught me that tip and I’m beginning to see the wisdom in following her advice. On a lot of things. Sigh…
Just do it.
This is a recipe that can be used in so many ways. Eat it as a salad, spoon it up with chips as a dip, roll it into a burrito with avocado and your favorite plant-based cheese sauce or use it as a filling in an enchilada.
- 2 large ears corn Or 2 cups of canned or frozen corn
- 1 cup dry quinoa Cooked according to package directions
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped fine
- 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed about 1.5 cups
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2-1 tsp salt optional
- 1/2 cup salsa mild, medium or hot, you decide
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Cook quinoa according to package directions. It's generally a 2-1 ratio of water to quinoa. Bring to a boil and then cover, turn to low and simmer for about 12 minutes until all water is absorbed.
Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl to cool.
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Steam or grill your corn on the cob. Cut it off the cob. If using canned or frozen corn, measure out 2 cups.
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Chop onion and cilantro.
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In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, add lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder and salt (if using). Mix well and set aside.
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Once the quinoa is cool, add the corn, onions and beans. Stir well. Add cilantro and stir to incorporate. Pour the lime/spice mixture over all and mix well. Add salsa and stir.
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This can be served immediately, but I like it best chilled for at least an hour.
If you want to add avocado, wait until just before serving and mix it in gently.
I’m very anxious to try this recipe. Ive been looking for a really good quinoa recipe. Thank you for sharing. Would to to receive more delicious recipes like this.
I hope you try it and love it as I do. I am working on developing an email list, but until that is done, I hope you will follow my facebook page and also join Plant-based Recipe Bloggers on Facebook where you’ll see my recipes and a few other bloggers recipes too. Thanks for reaching out!
Hi, I’m wondering how many servings this makes. It sounds wonderful.
Thanks
Sue
I’d say it makes about 6-7 cups, so it depends on how big a serving is to you. I can eat a couple of cups of this in one sitting 😁