Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes

Quinoa? What is quinoa? After buying a large bag of it (I like to try new things) I had better find out, eh?

Quinoa

Quinoa is sometimes considered a grain but it is actually a seed. It has a slightly nutty flavor and can be prepared like rice or barley. The texture is soft — almost like couscous. A nutritionist I know called it “the perfect food” and says it is filled with vitamins, proteins, amino acids, minerals, and fiber. It also contains the essential omega-3 fatty acids which provides benefits to the heart. Sounds pretty close to a perfect food, eh?

I like the texture of quinoa — it feels soft in my mouth and doesn’t taste heavy in my belly.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, well rinsed
  • Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped but not too small
  • 1/2 cup minced red onion
  • 1/2 cup basil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Add the water to a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat
  2. Add the quinoa, salt the water and return to a boil
  3. When it’s simmering, reduce the heat, cover the saucepan and allow the quinoa to cook through (until the water is absorbed) for about 20 minutes
  4. Once cooked, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl
  5. Add the black beans, tomatoes, onion, basil then stir it all together
  6. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt (to your taste) and pepper — this will be the dressing
  7. Pour 1/2 of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and see if the flavor is right for you
  8. Continue adding the dressing until you feel comfortable with the taste and the consistency, ie, not too oily tasting

Serves approximately 10 as a side dish.

The recipe is from the cookbook I received as a gift, 1000 Vegan Recipes.

I made the following changes to the original recipe:

  • Used basil instead of parsley
  • Use red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar

The recipe says it feeds 4 but you have to eat a LOT of this salad for it to feed four. I used it as a side dish so had lots left over. I covered the leftovers with plastic and the next day the salad still tasted fine. However, like other salads I’ve made that have a dressing, my preference would be make the salad and add the dressing a few minutes before you’re ready to serve it. I find it tastes fresher that way.

Another very good recipe from my new cookbook.

 

 

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