Sabrosa. 

Riquísima. 

Picante. 

Me encanta la comida mexicana! 

Translation:  Mexican food is da bomb dot com.

When the weather gets warm, my craving for Mexican food increases.  It’s just chock full of aromas, flavors, textures, and colors.  And margaritas aren’t so bad either 😉

This Mexican Quinoa Salad is packed with protein from quinoa and black beans, it pops with color thanks to the mango and red pepper, and has a sweet and tangy bite thanks to the lime and cilantro.  Eat it as a side salad, a main dish, use it as stuffing for burritos, or pile it on some tortilla chips.  It’s a delicious way to “eat the rainbow” and satisfy any Mexican food craving.  This Mexican Quinoa Salad is a guaranteed potluck pleaser, for vegans and non-vegans alike!

In addition to the juicy flavor combination, this is a super simple recipe that takes 30 minutes or less!   The only thing that takes time is cooking the quinoa and allowing it some time to chill, but if you have that already made, the assembly takes as little as five minutes.  It’s the ideal recipe for Mexican food lovers like me who hate spending more time than necessary in the kitchen.

Vamos, a comer!

Mexican Quinoa Salad   Makes: 5 cups Prep time: 5-30 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled to room temperature 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz can drained and rinsed 1 medium mango, diced 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/2 avocado, diced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions 2 small limes or 1 large lime salt and pepper to taste (approx. 1/4 tsp each) Directions: To make the quinoa: Mix 1 cup dry quinoa and 3 cups water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook covered for 20 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.  After 20 minutes (or when 99% of the water is evaporated) stir again and then remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes- still covered- so it can absorb the rest of the liquid and fluff up perfectly.  Allow to cool. In a small dish, whisk the juice from the limes with the salt and pepper and set aside. When the quinoa has cooled, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle the lime juice mixture and mix well.  Add more salt and pepper as necessary. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Buen provecho,

Becca