Fresh and beautiful veggies from across the rainbow to make amazing salads are my favorite. This Quinoa Fiesta Salad is one of my family’s favorites. As a mom, it makes me happy that the girls are getting so much nutrition in one bowl. The kids look at the colors and get excited to eat a rainbow and I love that they are enjoying fresh and healthy ingredients!
This salad does triple duty which I love. A dish which becomes a meatless entree can also serve as a side dish or a salad depending on my mood. The cherry on top of this recipe is that it takes less than 30 minutes to make and is very forgiving if you need to substitute or leave out ingredients.
HOW DO I MAKE A QUINOA FIESTA SALAD?
1. Cook the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking, you can get the dressing and your other ingredients ready!
2. Make the Cilantro Lime Dressing. I love this dressing because it is so light. If you choose to leave it out as I do for my girls, simply replace it with a drizzle of Olive Oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to mix.
4. Enjoy and get addicted to this salad as much as my family and I are!
Quinoa Fiesta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 c quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
- 2 c water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 c fresh sweet corn
- 1 c English cucumber, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 red Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 mango, peeled and cubed
- 1 avocado, diced
For the Cilantro Lime Dressing:
- 2 bunches fresh cilantro
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp agave
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ c extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the quinoa:
- Combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer to cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a blender. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
- In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, veggies, and beans. Toss well.
- Add in the cilantro lime dressing and mix well.
- Divide into bowls and serve at room temperature or cold.
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
