Quinoa & Bean Salad | Lime Cilantro Dressing
Are you ready to open your mind and palate to a new brightly colored and yummy salad? This versatile and delicious quinoa & black bean salad is just the ticket. Loaded with nutrition and flavor, this salad can be eaten alone or as a side dish.
We (my husband and I) have been trying to step up our healthy eating game over the past month. A more plant-based way of eating is what we’re shooting for. Of course, we go through cycles. Years ago we were totally plant-based eaters for almost 2 years. Slowly we started adding things back into our diet and bam, now we have to go through withdrawals again. I LOVE CHEESE!
Food is a funny thing. So many philosophies and theories out there, but what I always come back to is to and feel good about is eating whole foods. I love Michael Pollan’s way of thinking about food. He summed it up in seven words-
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
If you want a good read about how he thinks, this is a good book.
The base of this salad is quinoa. Not familiar with quinoa? You can read more about the awesomeness of this little seed here in THIS POST. As for now, I hope you’ll give it a whirl in this salad recipe. It is so easy to make, especially if you have an Instant Pot, and it is so versatile.
Let’s get back to the black bean & quinoa salad.
I will list the ingredients; however, you can add or take away whatever you please. This recipe is so easy to modify to your liking, adding different veggies, or herbs as you like. I will give you some yummy suggestions
quinoa & bean salad Ingredients (serves 4-6)
Salad
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- chickpeas, 1 can
- kidney beans (black beans are good also), 1 can
- 1 cucumber, quartered and chopped (peel if not organic)
- 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 TB chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (cook quinoa while chopping veggies)
- optional additions: black olives, avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, green onion, chopped carrots, feta cheese
Dressing
- 4 TB olive oil
- 2 TB plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 2 limes
Cooking the quinoa
Stovetop method:
- Rinse 1 cup quinoa well in a fine strainer.
- Place 2 cups of water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat on low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Let cool and fluff with a fork.
Instant Pot Method:
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, mix olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and spices.
- Chop vegetables.
- Drain and rinse beans.
- In a large bowl, add beans, veggies, and quinoa.
- Pour dressing over the top and mix well.
- Chill and serve.
Quinoa & Bean Salad | Lime Cilantro Dressing
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Are you ready to open your mind and palate to a new brightly colored and yummy salad? This versatile and delicious quinoa & black bean salad is just the ticket. Loaded with nutrition and flavor, this salad can be eaten alone or as a side dish.
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time12 min
- Total Time22 min
- Serving Size6
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- chickpeas, 1 can
- kidney beans (black beans are good also), 1 can
- 1 cucumber, quartered and chopped (peel if not organic)
- 1-2 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 TB chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (cook quinoa while chopping veggies)
- optional additions: black olives, avocado, pumpkin seeds, green onion, chopped carrots
Dressing
- 4 TB olive oil
- 2 TB plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- juice of 2 limes
- salt and pepper to taste
Stove top method
- Rinse 1 cup quinoa well in a fine strainer.
- Place 2 cups water and quinoa in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat on low, cover and cook 15 minutes.
- Let cool and fluff with fork.
Instant Pot method
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, mix olive oil, vinegar, and spices.
- Chop vegetables.
- Drain and rinse beans.
- In a large bowl, add beans, veggies, and quinoa.
- Pour dressing over the top and mix well.
- Chill and serve.
Jan Howell
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Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
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