Recipe

Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

Community Pick!

Recipe
4 Questions

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by Sarah Shatz

Photo 2 of 2
by lastnightsdinner

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe for Beans
Jaynerly's Testing Notes: This is a fabulous recipe, full of flavor and so healthy! The salad is easy to make and quick to put together. It is delicious! I love the addition of lime and chile -- it has a good heat...
This is a fabulous recipe, full of flavor and so healthy! The salad is easy to make and quick to put together. It is delicious! I love the addition of lime and chile -- it has a good heat but it's not too hot. I could not get chipotle powder so used chipotle Tabasco instead, which worked well and still didn't make it too hot (for me). It is a great salad as a meal in itself or as a healthy side. I will be making this this again! - Jaynerly

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Chef
lastnightsdinner's Notes: I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia almost 10 years ago, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I cook and eat the way I do today. By 2001, I was the least healthy I had ever been, and I realized...
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia almost 10 years ago, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I cook and eat the way I do today. By 2001, I was the least healthy I had ever been, and I realized that I needed to make some major changes if I wanted to manage this condition, starting with what I ate. I have never had much of a sweet tooth, but I ate a lot of processed foods, so I decided to cut those out and incorporate more whole, minimally processed foods into my diet. I also began reading about the so-called “superfoods,” and the beneficial properties of certain vegetables and legumes, grains, spices, and seasonings. This salad was my first attempt at revamping the classic black bean salad to boost its nutritional punch, and it's still a favorite. It's packed with flavor, and it's rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. It also travels well, making it a great dish for a picnic or bag lunch. I generally cook dried beans in bulk and freeze them in portions, but this works just fine with drained and rinsed canned black beans. Some people detect a bitter flavor in quinoa, which can be eliminated by rinsing it in a few changes of water before cooking; I've never had an issue so I didn't include that step. The cilantro-averse among you can feel free to substitute fresh flat leaf parsley instead. - lastnightsdinner

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Serves 4-6

1/2 cup red quinoa (or sprouted quinoa) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup water Ask a question about this ingredient

Juice and zest of one lime, about 1.5-2 oz. juice, and 1-2 teaspoons zest Ask a question about this ingredient

Kosher or sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon chili powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient

3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup roasted red/yellow bell peppers, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1.5 to 2 cups cups cooked black beans Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup picked fresh cilantro, roughly chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
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In a large serving bowl, whisk the lime juice with the zest, a pinch or two of salt, the chili powder, chipotle powder, and the cumin. Add the olive oil and whisk until the dressing comes together.
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Add the quinoa to the dressing and toss. Add the scallions, red peppers, black beans, and cilantro and toss well to combine. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime zest, if desired.
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20 Comments on Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

Dbehr24 added about 1 year ago

So I double this recipe, but cut back on the EVOO. I use the juice from the canned beans and fresh orange/red peppers instead of roasted. I use extra chipotle and add in fresh jalapenos for some bite. Then after everything is done I make my homemake pico de gallo/salsa and throw a cup of that in there. Chill it and serve with chips or as a side dish. Party favorite now. Thanks for the delicious and healthy recipe.

KLL5 added about 1 year ago

Great article about cilantro
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html

Nela added about 1 year ago

This is recipe is delicious, so much flavor. I also added a little bit or sirloin meat (sautéed) and it became a whole meal in a bowl. Can't wait to try it during ski season.

lastnightsdinner added about 1 year ago

Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it!

clumsychef added over 2 years ago

Delicious! I have another quinoa salad recipe, but it's a lot of work. This one is ready in no time and just a delicious. I didn't have chipotle and the salad needed some bite, so i grated in a few cloves of raw garlic. Good stuff! Thank you very much for posting.

lastnightsdinner added about 1 year ago

Mmmm, that sounds like a great addition - glad you liked it!

ChezSuzanne added over 2 years ago

I made this for dinner tonight and it was just GREAT! Even my husband, the beef eater of the family, piped up that he really like it. A lot. The only change I made was to add 1/3 mango, small diced, since I had some that I was trying to use up. This is definitely added to my regular line-up now. Thanks!