This quinoa salad combines beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, onion, cilantro, tahini, lemon, and cumin. It makes six prep-ahead lunches and keeps well in the fridge for most of the week.
Ingredients
Dressing ingredients
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa from 1 cup uncooked
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 15-ounce can small red, black, or kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 –1½ cups fresh tomatoes diced, or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ –1 cup red onion diced, or green onions, sliced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- Optional: ½–1 jalapeño pepper deveined and deseeded if desired, finely chopped
- Optional: 1 avocado peeled and diced
- Optional: Handful of pepitas or other roasted seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or blend them in a small blender. Set aside.
- Make the salad: In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, add the salad ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Toss the dressing with the salad. Taste and adjust seasonings (especially lemon juice, salt, and cumin).
- Serve the salad immediately or chill to serve later. It will last 4–5 days in the refrigerator. It does not freeze well.