Black Bean Quinoa

In honour of Celiac Awareness month, I have one of my favourite quinoa recipes; Black Bean Quinoa !  This is the perfect dish to bring to a potluck or to prepare in advance for work or school lunches.  Quinoa is a whole grain that contains all 8 essential amino acids, which makes it a great protein source for vegetarians and vegans.  Interestingly, soybeans are the only other plant protein that contains all 8 essential amino acids.  For information on quinoa, see my previous post ‘the year of quinoa is 2013’.

Black Bean Quinoa Recipe:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• A (1) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, rinsed
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• ½ clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tsp onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook 1 cup of dry, rinsed quinoa in 2 cups of water (according to package instructions).  Set quinoa aside to cool.
2. Combine rice wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and whisk together.  Set aside in refrigerator.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, add quinoa and toss together gently
4. Drizzle dressing over top and mix thoroughly
5. Chill your quinoa salad until serving