Delicious Quinoa Salad

This quinoa salad is both tasty and packed with nutrients.

How to Prepare Quinoa Salad

Below you'll find a comprehensive list of ingredients and detailed instructions, but here’s a quick overview of the process:

Ingredients for Quinoa Salad

Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this nutritious quinoa salad recipe:

• Quinoa and water: Cook one cup of quinoa in two cups of water, 
• Oil: The dressing starts with extra-virgin olive oil. 
• Limes: The juice of two limes adds brightness to the salad.
• Seasonings: Season the quinoa salad with ground cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro, and black pepper. 
• Cherry tomatoes and green onions: Halved cherry tomatoes and chopped green onions give the quinoa salad pops of color.
• Black beans: You’ll need a drained can of black beans for this protein-packed quinoa salad. 

How to Prepare Quinoa Salad?

This is a quick rundown of what to expect when preparing this fresh quinoa salad:

1. Cook the quinoa.
2. Prepare the dressing.
3. Mix the quinoa with tomatoes, black beans, and green onions.
4. Toss everything with the dressing, then add in the remaining ingredients.

Cook’s Tip

Kitchen Insights

“Quinoa salad makes a great side dish when you're craving something different,” says culinary expert Nicole McLaughlin (a.k.a. NicoleMcMom). Here are some of her top quinoa salad tips:

• “When it comes to cooking our quinoa, the same ratio applies as it does to rice (two parts water to one part grain),” according to Nicole. “The difference is that we can bring them to a boil together.” 
• You’ll know the quinoa is done when it swells and begins to burst slightly, Nicole says. 
• “Quinoa itself doesn’t have a ton of flavor,” says Nicole. “But it takes on whatever flavors you add in. That’s why I like to be generous when dressing quinoa salad.”

Storing Quinoa Salad

Keep the quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Can Quinoa Salad Be Frozen?

Absolutely! You can freeze quinoa salad for up to six months. Just let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Dinogo Community Reviews and Tips

“This has become my new favorite quinoa recipe,” shares Jennifer Gidcumb Hall. “I love it chilled, especially after the flavors have had time to develop.”

“I’ve been making this recipe exactly as written for years,” says Chris. “It’s delicious both hot and cold. Occasionally, I’ll add some cooked chicken, but it’s perfect just the way it is.”

“So tasty, light, and full of flavor,” says Cheri. “I didn’t change a thing and will definitely make this again.”

Editorial input by Corey Williams

Ingredients List

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup quinoa

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 limes, juiced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

• 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 5 green onions, finely chopped

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In the meantime, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions. Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and toss to coat. Mix in cilantro and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or refrigerate the salad for later.

Nutritional Information (per serving)