This healthy quinoa salad goes together quick and easy. Mix with corn, black beans, bell peppers and tomatoes then kick it up with chili powder and cayenne pepper to give you a meal packed with protein and ⅓ of your vegetable RDA.
I love making this quinoa salad with black beans and corn! It is easy to make and both filling and delicious. And if you are trying to eat healthier in the new year this salad gives you over 6 grams of protein and 33% of your vegetables for the day.
And more good news, the chili powder, and cayenne pepper both contain capsaicin which has shown to have anti-cancer and antibacterial properties, helps reduce LDL cholesterol and can suppress appetite and aid in burning calories with just ½ teaspoon with a meal. For all of you that love spicy food, like me, this is great news!
Many sources say that quinoa will continue to be popular but people will begin experimenting with other grains such as millet and amaranth. (More on amaranth as a protein powerhouse and cholesterol lowerer in future posts).
I am glad to see people searching for other ways to get their protein, and using these grains on occasion instead of fattier meats is a step in the right direction. I really like eating quinoa at least twice a week for lunch or dinner instead of always relying on meats and it is a great way to fit in your one meatless meal a week. It really is a gem of a grain!
To make weeknight dinners easier, I like to cook up a batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week. It can be used in so many ways and it is much quicker to throw together a meal if it is already cooked. I also like to chop up onions and peppers and store them in the refrigerator to make life a little easier. These same chopped-up veggies can be used for a super quick, healthy scrambled egg breakfast in the AM too.
Hope you enjoy this salad. If you have more ways to make quick and easy meals with quinoa I would love to hear from you.
This salad can also be used as a healthy side with grilled dishes such as Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos.
Try my Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad with tomatoes, chickpeas, onions, and garlic for another healthy side dish.
Find even more healthy salad recipes here on 2CM!
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked Earthly Choice quinoa
- 1 can organic corn, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup red/yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 Tablespoons lime juice or 2 limes, juiced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa following package directions. 1 cup uncooked quinoa equals 3 cups cooked.
- In a large bowl, combine corn, black beans, onion, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, chili powder and cayenne. Stir.
- Add quinoa and mix well.
- Toss with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more to give the flavors time to combine.
This post has been updated and was first published on January 11, 2015.
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