Try this Black Bean Quinoa Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 orange zest
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/3 red onion chopped
- 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 2 oranges cut into segments
- 1/2 cup corn kernels drained
- 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
- Carbohydrate 69.4541266908963 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.5885501086184 g
- Fiber 13.5547965161124 g
- Protein 14.950180051081 g
- Saturated Fat 1.00783432983151 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (291g)
- Sodium 881.278393707592 mg
- Sugar 55.899330174784 g
- Trans Fat 0.575456618693613 g
- Calories 398 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, orange zest and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, oranges, bell pepper, jalapeno, black beans, corn, onion and cilantro. Pour the vinaigrette on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Undercooking or trapping steam in freshly simmered grains leads directly to a waterlogged bowl that repels oil-based dressings. Hot grains expand unevenly and dissolve the cell walls of delicate produce like fresh cilantro and segmented citrus when combined prematurely. Spreading cooked grains across a rimmed baking sheet accelerates ambient cooling so starches set firmly before binding with liquids.
Vinaigrette Emulsification and Produce Prep
Whisking the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, freshly squeezed orange juice, zest, and sugar vigorously in a narrow vessel forces temporary suspension of fats and acids. Fine-tuning the acid-to-oil ratio prevents the dressing from sliding off dense elements like black beans and corn kernels. Rinsing canned legumes thoroughly removes excess sodium brine that otherwise masks the aromatic compounds of the diced red bell pepper and seeded jalapeno. Freshly segmented citrus requires a sharp pairing knife to excise membranes cleanly without releasing bitter pith into the mix.
- Spread cooked grains out to 1 inch depth on a baking sheet to reach room temperature within 15 minutes.
- Whisk liquids continuously for 30 seconds to achieve a uniform emulsion before pouring over produce.
- Dice bell peppers and onions to a uniform 1/4 inch cube to ensure equal distribution in every spoonful.
