Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Prepare quinoa according to package instructions. While it’s cooking, prepare peppers, onion and tomato by dicing into similar sized pieces. When the quinoa has finished cooking and is still warm, stir in the onions and green bell peppers. This will mellow out the raw veggies, since both tend to be a bit strong if not cooked. Set quinoa aside.

Start on the dressing. Grab a large handful of cilantro leaves and pulse a couple of times in a food processor. Grate the zest of one of the limes into the food processor, then add lime juice and cumin. Pulse a couple more times, being sure to use a spoon or spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn food processor on and drizzle in olive oil and continue processing until it reaches desired consistency.

Add red bell pepper, tomato, corn and black beans to the bowl of quinoa, stirring to combine. Then add dressing, toss to coat, and serve! The salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Note: If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to chop the cilantro by hand as small as you can, then whisk in the lime zest, lime juice, and oil. I find the dressing works best when blitzed in the food processor.