Southwest Quinoa Salad

I have had this recipe on my list of "Want to Try" for what seems like forever now.  Finally decided it was time to try it out.  We were invited to a friends' house this weekend to share in some smoked beef brisket and decided to take this to share.  It's a good thing I had to share it, otherwise I would have eaten this all by myself with no troubles at all.  In fact, there was some leftover and when we got home at 10:30p.m., I decided I wanted a few more bites and it was just as delicious then as it was hours before.  Hope you enjoy this as much as I did as well as everyone who tried it at the cookout!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cp. Quinoa, rinsed & drained

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

2-3 ears of Corn on the Cob

15oz. can Black Beans, rinsed & drained

2 Plum Tomatoes, diced

1 med. Zucchini, diced

1/4 cp. Red Onion, finely chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

1/3 cp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1/3 cp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 - 3 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped (there is such a range in the amount to use depending on your taste preference for fresh cilantro)

Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

-  In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

-  In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the quinoa & ground cumin.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed (about 12-15 minutes).  Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Uncover the cooked quinoa and fluff with a fork.  Allow the quinoa to cool for at least 10 minutes.  (I left mine cool for a while and it was at room temperature when I was ready to move forward.)

-  While waiting for the quinoa to cook and cool, bring a pan of water to a boil and place in the ears of corn.  Boil for about 5-10 minutes.  Then remove from the water and place on a pre-heated grill and grill until the corn becomes tender and lightly charred.  Removev the corn from the grill and allow to cool completely.  Once cooled, cut the kernels from the cob.

-  In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, corn kernels, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced zucchini & finely chopped red onion.  Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.

-  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days prior to serving. 

-  ENJOY!!!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my recipe.  Come back and comment if you try this and let me know what you think!

Have a great day!

~Sarah Strubhar

Independent Emerald Team Beachbody Coach