Quinoa Taco Salad Recipe
My vegan quinoa taco salad is sans tomatoes and bean-free. But if you love black beans, add them in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese if desired.
My vegan quinoa taco salad is sans tomatoes and bean-free. But if you love black beans, add them in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese if desired.
- sea salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup quinoa cooked in two cups water
- juice from 2 juicy limes
- 2 -3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 half small red or purple onion diced fine
- 1 small yellow bell pepper cored, seeded, diced fine
- 1 cup roasted corn kernels (i used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes, then
- 1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce washed, dried, sliced crosswise
- gluten-free tortilla chips
- 1 large avocado pitted, peeled, diced
- Carbohydrate 14.266525 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 9.342 g
- Fiber 4.49924986064434 g
- Protein 2.4968 g
- Saturated Fat 1.345844 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (133g)
- Sodium 149.388825 mg
- Sugar 9.76727513935566 g
- Trans Fat 0.611819000000001 g
- Calories 137 calories
Step-by-step
- Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Scoop into a bowl.
- Drizzle the cooked quinoa with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Squeeze on fresh lime juice and toss again. Season with sea salt, to taste.
- Add in the fresh chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced yellow pepper, and roasted corn kernels. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.
- Line four salad bowls or plates with the fresh romaine. Spoon the quinoa salad on the center of the lettuce. Add the diced avocado to each plate. Tuck in a few tortilla chips around the edges.
- Serve with an extra lime wedge.
Roasting frozen corn kernels on a dry cookie sheet for six to seven minutes concentrates natural sugars through surface dehydration before the grain encounters other elements. When hot corn hits diced red onion and yellow bell pepper, the residual heat slightly softens the raw crunch of the allium without cooking it entirely.
Acid and Fat Chemistry
Fresh lime juice provides the essential acidity required to balance the rich, buttery texture of diced avocado and extra virgin olive oil. Quinoa acts as a neutral starch matrix that absorbs both the citrus acid and the fat, ensuring every bite carries a consistent profile. Olive oil coats the microscopic starches on the grain surface, preventing the salad from becoming gummy when combined with wet ingredients like roasted corn. Salt added directly to the warm quinoa dissolves faster than it would in cold preparations, penetrating the grain interior rather than simply resting on the exterior.Dietary Adaptations
This formulation operates entirely free of dairy and gluten by relying on corn tortillas and plant-based fats. Substituting black beans at a one-to-one ratio for part of the corn introduces umami compounds and soluble fiber without altering the structural integrity of the base. Goat cheese provides a sharp, lactic tang if dairy is permissible, contrasting sharply against the sweet roasted corn kernels.
