I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pretty wary about trying Quinoa for a very long time. Those little granules… how could those possibly turn into anything worth eating?! Seriously??! Well, it just so happens that they’re edible. Quite edible, in fact. You just have to know how to prepare those little granules so that they’re worthy of eating. Adding a bunch of other good stuff in with them is helpful too. I put together a little Mexican Quinoa Salad for you.
I added good stuff like cherry tomatoes, fresh corn and cilantro. There’s a little lime in there too and a light dressing. Easy.
This is a fancy-schmancy tricolor quinoa from Trader Joe’s. Otherwise, it’s just one color. Find it in the same section of your market where you’d find rice.
Some schooling for you… Quinoa (properly pronounced as “Keen-Wah”) is a type of whole grain/seed. It cooks up quicker than other whole grains (just 10 to 15 minutes) and it’s naturally vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and cholesterol free. Quinoa has the highest protein content of any other grain, and it contains all 8 amino acids (so it’s good for ya!) It’s prepared just as rice is prepared with one part quinoa to two parts water. It’s important to rinse quinoa well before cooking it since it’s coated with a naturally occurring plant chemical that can cause a bitter taste. It’s super fine though, so you’ll need a fine mesh strainer to use for rinsing.
Prepare your quinoa in a little saucepan, and in 10 minutes it’s ready… add your veggies and herbs and a simple dressing and big bang bongo you’ve got yourself a salad- served warm or lukewarm or cold. Or you could be totally brave and just hit the Farmer’s Market, grabbing whatever sounds good to you and add it to quinoa. It’s all good.
Are you a fan of quinoa already? Have you yet to try this little grain? Have I turned you on to the idea of trying it? Hope so!
Horizons need to be broadened, salads need to be shaken up a bit, quinoa needs to be eaten, and… do as Lennon said and Give Peace a Chance. (Though the first time I wrote that it came out as, “Give Peaches a Chance.” Hmmm. Ignore me and my crazy thoughts here. Just eat some quinoa.
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
DRESSING
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
SALAD
- 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well through a fine strainer/sieve
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh corn (sliced off the cob, raw)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 small lime, divided use
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prepare the quinoa according to package directions; cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, toss the quinoa with the tomatoes, corn and cilantro. Add the dressing and toss to coat everything. Squeeze lime on top, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.4. Serve with lime wedges, for individual squeezing.
Notes
- This salad can be served warm or cold!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love quinoa. I think it tastes even better to me since it’s so nutrient dense. Great idea for dressing it up!
Yummy! Love the Mexican touch you added to the quinoa and those colors are vibrant and exquisite!
This sounds wonderful! I think I will add some small dices of jicama!
I love quinoa! My fave way to serve it is drizzled with a flavored olive oil and a bunch of veggies and herbs. Yours looks delish! And I never knew about rinising it before cooking – great tip!
Since my husband FINALLY likes quinoa, I think I’ll make a big batch of this tonight and have leftovers all week, SCORE!
This looks so gorgeous and fresh-tasting!
This salad looks delicious! i have a bag of Quinoa, but am not really sure what to do with it! I am going to have to try this for sure!
I have a bag of this right on my counter!
I love quinoa! I usually mix it in with a greek salad or tabuleh type salad. I also cook mine in the rice cooker so super quick and easy! Sometimes i mix some chia seeds in there too with the salad. It’s also very good as a breakfast food. I’ve made quinoa granola with quinoa flakes and also used it as a noodle replacement in casseroles! love love love it!
Fabolous dish! I have quinoa in the cupboard and I just have tried it yet. I know I’like it with your recipe!! Yum!