Here is a quick recipe, that I have been meaning to share in full here with you guys for some time now. I made this again this week with the abundance of peppers and tomatoes we have from our CSA. This salad is full of so many of my favorite flavors but even more so, it is so full of beautiful and vibrant colors. A real party in the bowl (hence the name).
I am a big fan of Mexican flavors and spices, they are so bright and intense! If it were up to me, add just a little cilantro and cumin to a dish and you already have a winner, add avocado and now there is no way I would ever turn it down. Speaking of, I have heard that people either love cilantro or absolutely despise it, I just read a quick article the other day that it could be an actual genetic trait. So do you love cilantro or do you hate it?
This quinoa salad is one of the recipes I made for my Buffalo News Cook of the Month feature back in July, so I included (above) some of the photos that Sharon Cantillon of the Buffalo News, took while I was preparing this dish. Since I take all of my own photos and really only feature photos of the finished dishes, I thought it would be fun to see some “action” shots. I hope you enjoy.
[print_this]Fiesta Quinoa Salad – Gluten-free + Vegan
serves 6-8
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled to room temperature (I used an organic sprouted quinoa trio)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 cup of cooked corn
1 cup black beans
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3 fresh scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (if you don’t like cilantro, you can use mint instead)
1 avocado, diced
Zest from 1 lime
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk very well to combine. Set aside.
Add the cooked (and cooled) quinoa to a large serving bowl. Add everything to the serving bowl with the quinoa, except the avocado. Toss very well to combine.
Give the dressing a quick whisking again to combine and pour it over the salad. Top with avocado and lime zest. You can also add another small handful or two of the fresh scallions and fresh cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the salad immediately at room temperature or chilled. [/print_this]
23 Responses
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Yummy. This salad is so colorful and beautiful and I love that it uses so many things in season right now. I have tomatoes and peppers coming out of my ears, so this is perfect. I think I will make this for dinner tonight. Thanks Beth!
Thanks Janet, I am with you, I have more peppers and tomatoes than I know what to do with, so making dishes like this are even more fun. Hope you enjoyed this if you made it.
Such beautiful colors!
The colors just make this dish even more special, right?
Oh….YUM. I love cilantro. How could you not?
xo
lynn
I am with you Lynn, but if you have ever met someone that hates it, they hate it with extreme passion. It is fascinating for sure.
Some folks lack the digestive enzyme to appropriately digest Cilantro – it tastes awful to them.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was so good I couldn’t stop eating!!
Carol, I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much!! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Looks delicious! Think I’ll be adding that as a side plate to some salmon patties tonight!
Yup sounds like a great side to salmon. Hope you enjoyed it if you made it.
I love cilantro in recipes. What is the brand of the sprouted quinoa that you have listed in this recipe? I’m not aware of a sprouted product. This recipe looks so good.
I am with you Saundra, I buy a bunch almost every week at the farmers market. I just updated the recipe to include the link to the sprouted quinoa that I used, it is from Tru Roots http://truroots.com/products/truroots-accents/sprouted-quinoa-trio/ I really love it.
It is a fiesta! I love cilantro and i also understood its a genetic thing that you either love it or find the taste soapy. Will make this dish soon, looks beautiful.
Ingrid – that’s the thing I have heard too, some people think it is soapy. Makes you wonder how different everything else tastes to them, too!
Love this recipe!!!
This looks beautiful. I am pitting it on my to do list for work lunches next week. I do have to ask if Scallions are what we aussies call spring onions?
Thanks Michelle. I would assume that they are the same. Green onions/scallions 😉
Yum! This looks awesome, Beth. I make a similar quinoa salad but I feel like I need to try this version with the fiesta twist. 🙂
Thanks so much Brittany. I honestly cannot get enough of quinoa salads like this. Sooo yummy!!
I just made this today. I got a quinoa salad at whole foods yesterday which inspired me to search for a recipe to make on my own. Your salad is so much better than theirs! Thank you!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear this Jennifer. It’s such a simple recipe, but it sure packs a flavor punch. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and of course, for reading 😉