Black Bean-and-Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is one of the most nutrient dense foods that you can find! The nutritional quality of quinoa has been compared to that of dried whole milk by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Eating quinoa is a great way to get protein into your diet. According to CalorieCount, one cup of cooked quinoa has only 220 calories.  It also has 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.

You can get your daily fiber all in one meal with the combination of quinoa and black beans in this dish!

Note: For Vegan style use WholeSoy plain unsweetened yogurt. Put a coffee filter in a collander and drain the “whey” out overnight so that you are left with creamy yogurt reminiscent of Greek Yogurt.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used the frozen bag from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 Avocado, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely dice
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Ingredients For Cilantro Dressing

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (for Vegan Style use WholeSoy plain unsweetened yogurt)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To make the dressing, combine jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, greek yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice and cilantro in a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Makes about 3/4 cup. Set aside.

Bring 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, and then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed, and quinoa is cooked and can be fluffed with a fork. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, quinoa, red onion, red pepper, roasted corn, avocado, and two-tablespoon chopped cilantro.  Top with the salad dressing ad toss gently.  Season with salt and serve.

Let salad stand for at least two hours to develop taste.

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