Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

The Hubbs has a meeting with one of the professional organizations he belongs to tomorrow night and he needs a side dish to take with him. Ever the loving wife, I told him of course I would make something for him to take. The question was just WHAT? The side dish needs to be able to be made the day before because I wont see him after the gym in the morning. It has to be able to stand up with little refrigeration because its a potluck style dinner. It needs to be clean eats. So a lettuce based salad is  a no-go. A pasta salad? eh. I got it! A quinoa salad. It meets all of the criteria and it tastes amazing!

This recipe feeds a crowd. But definitely cut the recipe down to work for your needs.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

-4c. Cooked Quinoa
-1 25oz can Black Beans (try to find cans that are BPA free)
-2c. Frozen Roasted Corn, thawed. (If you can't find roasted corn, you can roast it yourself in a pan on the stove. Turn the pan on high add the frozen corn and sear it. voila! roasted corn!)
-5oz. Cotija Cheese, crumbled
-1/4c. Cilantro, chopped
-1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
-1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
-1/2 of a Red Onion, chopped (about 1 cup. Chop it and then soak it in water to draw out that strong onion taste. Drain off the water after 10ish minutes)
-1/2c. Avocado Tomatillo Salsa (recipe follows)
-3 limes juiced

-Drain the black beans and rinse. Place them in a large bowl. Add in the thawed corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Toss together.

-Add in the avocado tomatillo salsa. Stir.

-Mix in the quinoa, then gently fold in the cheese and lime juice.

-Season with salt & pepper

Makes 20 servings

Serving size 1/2c.

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 4.6g Calories: 197 Carbs: 18.6 Protein: 5.6g

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

-2c. Tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed & chopped
-2 Serrano chiles, chopped
-2 Avocados, peeled
-1/2c. Cilantro
-Juice of 1 lime
-1/4 tsp Cumin

-Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

Makes about 2 1/2 c.

Serving Size 2TBS

The Skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 2.7g Calories: 21.3 Carbs: 2.3g Protein: 0g