01 March 2011

Southwestern Quinoa & Sweet Potato Salad

I love this salad so much that it's usually the first recipe I tell people to make when they want to try quinoa for the first time. It's super easy to throw together, not to mention crazy delicious. It has a great combination of textures: chewy quinoa, creamy avocado, and crunchy bell pepper. Plus the always wonderful flavors of lime juice and cilantro... yes please!


Southwestern Quinoa & Sweet Potato Salad
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 2 1/2 cups cooked)
  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • Cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lime (or a whole lime if it's not very juicy)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
First, cook the quinoa: put it in a saucepan with water to cover by at least an inch and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until it's done (taste often to check; it should take between 10 and 20 minutes; add more water if it gets dry but isn't done yet). Drain and rinse in a fine mesh strainer.

Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes: put them in another saucepan with water to cover and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste, along with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lime juice, then add to the quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

1 comment:

  1. I have to apologize, Becky. I made this last night and forgot all of the seasonings except the lime juice. This morning I was writing about it and checked the recipe again. I made the quick fixes and it's delicious, just as I was hoping.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete