They decided to have a salad bar for Teacher Appreciation Week at our kids’ school and my contribution was this salad. It uses quinoa as the base and I added a whole array of ingredients.
Quinoa, one of the ancient grains that seem to be all the rage these days, is in fact not a real grain – but that is being technical and irrelevant. What quinoa is though is this super food that is packed with so much fiber and protein. It’s protein content is off the charts (12% – 18%) and is high in essential amino acids. It is also affordable. A box of quinoa goes for less than five dollars and can feed a small army.
It is easy to prepare and can keep in your fridge for up to a week depending on what other ingredients you’ve added to it. Cooking it is like cooking rice (and most grains). Use a 2:1 ratio (2 parts water to one part quinoa). If I have it, I use chicken stock and a bit of salt. The flavor of the chicken stock is literally cooked into the grains. Anything else you add to the quinoa just creates one more layer of flavor that can only enhance the dish. Cooking time is usually around 15 minutes over a low simmer but read the instructions on the box.
I call this recipe Mexican Quinoa Salad. But like most things that come out of my kitchen, it was born out of what I had on hand. My hope is that you too can be creative and come up with your own creation.
Mexican Quinoa Salad (makes 10 very generous servings)
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup or so olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cummin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- juice of 1 lime (around 2 TBSP. – DO NOT use bottled lime juice)
Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
- 5 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cup cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups cooked black beans
- 1 cup hominy
- 1 cup roasted or grilled corn
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 2 cups chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
Combine all the ingredients and drizzle vinaigrette over it. Season with salt and pepper.
A few notes:
- If using a whole box, it can feed over 50 people as a side dish.
- Cilantro is a must in this dish. Parsley just won’t cut it. If you omit the cilantro you can’t by law call it a Mexican salad.
- If I have time, I will take a few ears of corn and throw it on the grill then scrape it off the ear. The key words here being “if I have time”. The reality is, Trader Joe’s sells some in their frozen section that is less than three dollars and is always, always sweet.
- This dish can be served at almost any temperature. It is also a great dish to bring for a pot luck or picnic.
Other great combinations:
quinoa + tomatoes + sweet bell peppers
quinoa + grilled zucchini, onions, and peppers
quinoa + tomatoes + cucumbers + green onions + kalamata olives + feta cheese
It was delicious. Thanks for sharing it with us!