It’s about time for another quinoa dish! I’ve posted a variety of different ones over the past 2 years (Broccoli & Spinach Quinoa with Pepper Jack Cheese; Honeyed Quinoa Salad with Cherries, Apricots & Cashews; Mediterranean Quinoa Salad; and Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quinoa) and they are all great, but I found a whole slew of new ones that I was dying to try out. So I did. I made a new quinoa salad recipe every time we were getting together with others. There was a dinner with friends, a holiday get-together at Kelly & Gilbert’s, a block party, a dinner with visiting relatives, another holiday, a family gathering, a vacation . . . you get the picture.
I finished off my 4-pound bag of quinoa making a whole bunch of different quinoa recipes. They were all good (and good for you!) so taste didn’t help narrow down the choice. I got positive feedback from each group of guinea pigs, I mean testers, on the different variations, so tasters’ preference wasn’t the deciding factor either. It was a tough decision. The rest of the recipes will probably show up here in the future, but to start it off, I chose this rendition of a quinoa salad.
Southwest Quinoa Salad
Southwest Quinoa Salad (adapted from oceuponachef.com) Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small, yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 14-ounce can corn, drained
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely sliced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 avocado, cut into small chunks right before serving
Instructions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the quinoa to the onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring the quinoa to a boil. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Chill it in the refrigerator.
Add the quinoa to the cooked onions.
In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the tomatoes, corn, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the lime juice.
Combine the rest of the ingredients.
Add the chilled quinoa in and mix well. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Add the chilled quinoa.
Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve, then cut the avocado into bite-sized chunks and scatter the chunks over the top of the salad.
Add the avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Getting together with family & friends over a meal is such a pleasure! ~Linda
Southwest Quinoa Salad (adapted from oceuponachef.com) Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small, yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 14-ounce can corn, drained
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely sliced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 avocado, cut into small chunks right before serving
Instructions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the quinoa to the onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring the quinoa to a boil. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Chill it in the refrigerator.
In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the tomatoes, corn, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the lime juice. Add the chilled quinoa in and mix well. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Refrigerate it until ready to serve, then cut the avocado into bite-sized chunks and scatter the chunks over the top of the salad.