Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad with Lime Juice and Olive Oil
Quinoa, pronouned "keen-wah", is a whole grain that I consume on a regular basis. This whole grain is packed with vitamins, minerals, and even some protein (about 8 g per cup to be exact). Quinoa is among one of the trendier grains because it is so versatile. You can use quinoa to make a salad, as a filler, as a side dish, or even incorporate it into an omelette for breakfast (yes I do this all of the time)!!
A fun fact about quinoa is that it also comes in different varieities. The most common is white, but have you seen red or black quinoa? These varieties can be found at your local grocery store, but if you are having trouble go to a health food store. Also, if you are worried about gluten in your diet, quinoa is actually gluten-free. Follow my easy to make Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad recipe, to get more quinoa into your diet.
Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad with Lime Juice and Olive Oil
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup black beans (from a can)
1/2 cup corn (from a can)
1/2 cup small cherry tomatoes (diced)
1/2 red onion (diced into small pieces)
Fresh cilantro leaves (handful of leaves, chopped fine)
Juice of 1 lime
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Directions
1. Heat 2 cups water in a pot, bring to a boil and add quinoa, cook on medium heat and stir occassionnally. Quinoa is done cooking when all of the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Quinoa should appear fluffy when fully cooked, if it does not add more water and stir over medium heat until all of the water is absorbed.
2. Drain and rinse canned black beans and corn under cold water to remove any excess salt from the can, set aside.
3. Chop tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, set aside. Squeeze the lime to obtain fresh lime juice, set aside.
4. Combine quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating.
