About recipe

Start your week with easy meal prep! Quinoa is a nutrient-packed whole grain that makes a delicious base for any meal. Today we are making it into a salad with beans, fresh vegetables, spices, and citrus. As this dish keeps well in the fridge, one batch can provide several of your lunch or dinner meals for the week. 

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry quinoa yields about 2 cups cooked) 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 clove garlic, pressed, grated or finely chopped 
• Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons) 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat)
• 15oz can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained well 
• 1 red bell pepper, quarter inch chopped (about 1 cup)
• 6 green onions, roots removed
• 1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1/3 cup) 

Preparation

1. Rinse quinoa well in a fine mesh colander or strainer, and drain all the water. 
2. Add rinsed quinoa to a pot and add double the amount of water or vegetable stock. 
3. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low for about 15 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. 
4. Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork. 
5. While the quinoa is cooking, whisk the olive oil, cumin, garlic, lime, salt, and optional cayenne together in a large bowl and set aside. 
6. Rinse and drain the black beans. 
7. Chop the veggies until roughly the same size as the black beans. 
8. Add the cooked quinoa, beans, and diced veggies to the bowl and stir with the dressing and cilantro. 
9. Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors soak in. It tastes best served chilled or at room temperature.