Black Bean Quinoa Salad- It's all about the "superfood"

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain that is often referred to as a "superfood" because of its excellent nutritional value. It not only contains antioxidant phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients but it is also a great source of fiber and calcium. The greatest part of quinoa, in my opinion, is that it is actually a complete protein, which makes it a perfect food for a vegetarian or vegan. 

Quinoa is a weekly staple in my family's diet. Since we make quinoa so often, we buy the big 4lb bag of organic quinoa at Costco (shown above). I love how versatile quinoa is. You can make a variety of quinoa salads, use it as you would rice, put it in veggie burgers, egg dishes, etc. The list really goes on and on. Today, we made a delicious black bean quinoa salad. After you make the quinoa (similar to how you make rice), cut up the veggies and rinse the beans. Then you simply toss it all together with a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar, and you have the perfect superfood! Here is a peek of today's recipe.

Make the quinoa over the stove according to the directions on the package (super easy!), then fluff in a bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Cut up the veggies of your choice. This version has red pepper, yellow pepper, cilantro, and green onion.

Toss the veggies in with the chilled quinoa. I also added black beans to this one.

Then make your quick dressing with a 2:1 ratio of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together, and eat!

We munch on this dish all week long so we always have something healthy and filling to eat when we are short on time. It makes for an easy to-go option as well, so pack it in your lunch for work or in your kids' lunch too!