Smoky-Spiced Quinoa Salad with Black Beans
A delicious make-ahead quinoa salad for lunch or as a fresh-tasting side dish. This salad is mixed with black beans, sweet potato and a delicious homemade smoky chipotle-lime dressing. Feta cheese is a fantastic addition!
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons (45 mi) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tamari sauce
- 1-2 canned chipotle chilis with adobo sauce to taste — choose 2 for a good amount of heat
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon salt
Salad
- 1 cup (170 g) quinoa
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained
- 1 cup cooked sweet potatoes *see note below on how to cook cut into cubes
- ½ cup chopped green onions (about 4-5 onions)
- 1 fresh red or green chili pepper finely chopped
Instructions
Make the dressing
- Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, or whisk together in a bowl.
Make the salad
- Put the quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the grains with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl to cool slightly.
- Stir in the black beans, sweet potato, green onions, chili pepper and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to mix. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Add in avocado chunks, sweet red bell pepper slices and feta cheese crumbles.
- To cook sweet potato: Peel and cut a large sweet potato into cubes. Place in a steamer basket set in a saucepan of simmering water, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast the sweet potato cubes in a 425F oven: Toss the cubes on a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast until golden and tender, about 25 minutes.
- If you have leftover cooked sweet potatoes, this recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, and just as quickly if you steam the sweet potato while the quinoa cooks.
- Quinoa salad holds up well in the fridge up to 5 days without getting soggy. I recommend eating it at room temperature or slightly warmed for the best flavor. Straight out of the fridge cold salads can taste dull.
Nutrition
Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 7gFat: 13gSodium: 652mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9g
