Black Bean Quinoa Salad

By devogirl

If you have never tried Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah), here is a little info on it: Quinoa has a delightful characteristic that is all it’s own: as it cooks, the outer germ around each grain twists outward forming a little white, spiral tail, which is attached to the kernel. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is crunchy which creates and interesting texture combination and pleasant “crunch” when eating the grain. Quinoa has a fluffy consistency and a mild, delicate, slightly nutty flavor that borders on bland. The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2/3 can of black beans
• 1/2 large red bell pepper
• 3 sprigs of green onions
• 1 1/3 cup thawed frozen white corn
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 tsp. apple cider or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt + Pepper

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 20mins

Preparation

Step 1

Turn on the stove and heat the 3 cups of water in a pot. Rinse the quinoa and add to boiling water. Lower heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed (around 15 minutes). Rise the canned black beans, and dice red bell pepper and green onion. Once the quinoa is fully cooked (all the water is gone and the quinoa is translucent), remove from heat and add all other ingredients. Season to taste with Salt + Pepper and hot sauce. Can be served hot or refrigerated to be served as salad.