Southwest Quinoa Salad

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa

  rinsed (or roughly 4 cups cooked and cooled quinoa)
• zest 1 lime
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (roughly 2 limes)

  plus more for serving
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove

  grated with a microplane or pressed
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  plus more if needed
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ small red onion

  finely diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 heaping cup (6 ounces) grape tomatoes

  quartered
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans

  rinsed and drained well
• ½ cup frozen fire-roasted corn

  thawed and drained
• ½ jalapeño pepper

  seeds and ribs removed, and finely diced
• ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

  roughly chopped
• 1 ripe avocado

  pitted, peeled and diced
• kosher salt

  as needed

Instructions

• 1 Prepare and Cook the Quinoa: Combine the water and salt in a medium saucepan
  with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and simmer
  over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 17 to
  20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and allow to sit for
  an additional 10 minutes. Spread the cooked quinoa in a thin layer on a baking
  sheet (set on a cooling rack) and allow to cool completely. If prepping ahead of
  time, transfer the cooled quinoa to a large container and refrigerate for 2 to 3
  days until ready to use. 
• 2 Prepare the Vinaigrette: Combine the lime zest, lime juice, cumin, and grated
  garlic in a small mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the avocado oil, whisking
  continuously until emulsified. Add the salt, black pepper, and diced red onion
  to the dressing. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 to 10 minutes
  (allowing the mixture to sit helps cut the sharpness of raw garlic and onion). 
• 3 Assemble: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked (and cooled) quinoa, grape
  tomatoes, black beans, fire-roasted corn, jalapeño, and onion-vinaigrette
  mixture. Stir until well combined. Gently fold in the crumbled cotija cheese and
  cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more lime juice as
  desired. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes or up to 24
  hours in advance. *Note: While you can serve this salad immediately, it tastes
  best when it is allowed to sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer).
• 4 Just before serving, fold in the diced avocado and a generous squeeze of fresh
  lime juice, as desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Leftovers can be
  stored in an airtight container in the fridge and kept for up to 3 to 5 days.

Nutrition Info