Spicy Black Bean & Lime Quinoa Salad

I went to a BBQ this past weekend and, of course, was asked to bring a ‘quinoa salad of some sort’.

Now, when you ask me to bring a quinoa salad, I get really excited. Why? Well, because I love quinoa, of course. But, more importantly I get excited because it’s a chance to introduce people to how flavorful, fragrant, and wonderful a quinoa dish can be. I get excited to show everyone that quinoa is a true crowd pleaser… I get excited to have people say, “Wow, can I get the recipe?” (And for my ladies that asked for the recipe, this post is dedicated to you  )

Hence, I brought this – THE salad my family and I can’t seem to get enough of right now:

Ingredients:

For salad:

• 2 cups precooked quinoa
• 2 cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed (always buy canned beans with nothing but beans, water, and salt on the ingredient label)
• 2 large sweet bell peppers, diced
• 2 cups of baby arugula
• 1/2 cup cilantro, washed and rough chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 medium jalapeño, diced (remove HALF the seeds for less spice)

For dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp diced garlic (approx 3 small cloves)
• zest of 1 lime
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp cumin

1. Put your quinoa and beans into a large bowl.
2. Add your argula, chopped cilantro, diced bell peppers, red onion, and diced jalapeño.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dressing ingredients and pour dressing evenly over the top of the salad.
4. Stir to evenly coat all ingredients, taste for flavor, and (if necessary), add more salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s what it’ll look like:

And then look at the bowl of beauty you end up with:

(NOTE: this recipe makes about 4-5 full bowl servings. But, here’s the good news: it gets better as it sits! So, even if you don’t have a BBQ or a big crowd to serve, make the full batch and save the rest for the next day or two. You won’t regret it.)

Happy Monday, everyone – I’m so glad you’re here with me. (If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, orInstagram, connect with me there, too!)