Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Southwestern quinoa salad is bursting with garden fresh veggies and beans and tossed in a bright honey lime vinaigrette. A zesty side dish, a healthy grab and go lunch, or a delicious addition to any potluck!

Quinoa is crazy good for you but it can be a bit intimidating if you haven’t ever used it before. This Southwestern Quinoa Salad is one of our favorite ways to incorporate quinoa into our diet.

The zesty homemade salad dressing soaks into the quinoa, wrapping it in flavor and the crispy chopped fresh veggies give this salad just the right amount of crunch. Healthy and delicious!

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has been around for years but has only recently started being seen as a healthy addition to the American diet. Quinoa is a whole grain that is higher in protein than any other grain and has been cultivated by native peoples in the Andes Mountains of South America for over 5,000 years.

Why is Quinoa good for you?

Web MD says that “unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of the proteins that make up your muscles, bones, skin, and blood. The nine classified as “essential” must be obtained from food daily — your body cannot produce or store them — and quinoa provides all nine.”

Quinoa is high in fiber, rich in antioxidants and is also a good source of:

• Folate
• Iron
• Thiamine
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Zinc

How to make Southwestern Quinoa Salad

This healthy and delicious salad comes together within minutes, but a 30 minute rest time in the refrigerator really brings the flavors together and makes them sing!

Cook quinoa according to the package directions. Our favorite, easy way to cook quinoa is to let the Instant pot do the work with this recipe for Easy Instant Pot Quinoa but it can also be cooked on the stovetop.

Fluff and cool. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, vinegar, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt.

Whisk together and then store in refrigerator until ready to add to the salad.

To a large bowl add quinoa, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn, peppers, onion, and cilantro.

Whisk dressing together again and pour over quinoa mixture until combined. Season with additional salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.

Move the salad to the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Stir before serving. Enjoy!

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