Southwest Quinoa Salad
These quinoa bowls are the perfect healthy school lunch idea for kids and teens!
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup jarred salsa
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 15- ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
For the dressing:
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For serving:
- 1 avocado, optional
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
Cook the quinoa:
- Bring the water to a boil, then stir in the quinoa, lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and turn off heat.
- Cover and let sit for 6 minutes - you'll know the quinoa is ready when you see the little white "tail" of the germ around the outside edge of each seed.
Combine:
- Once quinoa is done, add salsa, chili powder, and cumin, fold to combine well. Stir in the corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Fold a few times until thoroughly combined.
Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
Serve:
- Serve with avocado and cheese and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.
For a packed lunch:
- Pack quinoa salad leftovers in a lunchbox container and the dressing into mini sauce containers. If packing avocado, add it to the lunchbox the same morning to keep it from browning.
- Refrigerate until it’s time to pack it for school. Add an ice pack inside the lunch bag if needed. This salad is great eaten cold or at room temperature as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 bowl | Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.5g | Protein: 24.5g | Fat: 20.4g | Saturated Fat: 7.6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 31.9mg | Sodium: 1797.4mg | Fiber: 16.6g | Sugar: 9.8g
