Saturday, May 17, 2014

Vegan Quinoa Salad with Salad Dressing



Quinoa. A nutty grain that is packed with tons of nutrients, some of which include protein and iron. Quinoa is a great alternative to dishes that involve rice, and it tastes SO good. I sometimes sub quinoa in for rice when I'm making a dish - instead of fried rice, it'd be fried quinoa! Quinoa tastes AMAZING in so many dishes, and today, I'm going to show you how I make my quick Vegan Quinoa Salad with Salad Dressing!

*Make sure you wash your quinoa thoroughly, rubbing vigorously to get rid of the outer bitter layer of the grain!


INGREDIENTS:

QUINOA:
1 cup of quinoa
1 can of black beans
1 cup of corn niblets
Half a large cucumber (~1 cup, diced)
1 large tomato (diced)
4 tablespoons cilantro (or more, depending on how you like it)
Half a medium sized red onion

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of balsamic vingear
1 lime (the juice)
1 tsp of pepper
2-3 tsp of salt (or more, if desired)
Few dashes of cayenne pepper 

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the quinoa as per direction on box (info will be provided later on).
2. Rinse and drain a can of black beans, cook 1 cup of corn niblets, and dice up your tomato and cucumber. 
3. Chop up your cilantro and onion.
4. In a bowl, combine the ingredients together (quinoa, cucumber, tomato, corn, beans, etc.). 
5. In a smaller bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing, making sure it is mixed thoroughly together.
6. Pour the dressing over your quinoa mixture and mix until combined.

Enjoy!