Add this flavorful Southwest Quinoa Salad to your Quinoa Recipe collection! Tex-Mex ingredients grilled to perfection and finished with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette!
Let the wedding festivities begin! My little brother gets hitched on Friday, which is a little cray cray in and of itself because he is still little to me. But with all the craziness and chaos that a wedding brings, I wanted to have a time just to chill with all the friends and family that have been arriving. So Mike and I had a bunch of people over for a BBQ yesterday night.
Now, I know a Quinoa Salad is probably not the first thing you would think of for BBQ party. In fact, at most BBQ’s you will see the always popular “Macaroni Salad” to eat along with your burger. However, I wanted to do something a little healthier but still keep with the same concept of “cold pasta salad.” Quinoa is the perfect substitute for a rice or pasta dish. So, I made a little Southwestern style Quinoa Salad and added a Honey Lime Vinaigrette to punch up the flavor! Quinoa is so easy to make. It literally takes like 15 mintues, plus its delicious and good for you!
So, if you are looking for a dish to make for a 4th of July party and want something a little different and healthier then this Southwest Quinoa Salad is it! If you don’t make it this weekend, then it is just another Quinoa Recipe to add to your collection. 🙂
To get started, heat grill to medium high heat. Place 3 shucked ears of corn {remove the stalk & outer peel}, 2 whole orange bell peppers, and 2 whole poblano peppers on grill.
Grill for 10 minutes, turning to grill on all sides. {you will want a nice char on the peppers} Remove from grill and let sit to cool down.
Next, remove the charred skin from the peppers and finely dice.
Cut the corn off the cob.
Slice 1 pint of fresh cherry tomatoes in half.
Place all veggies in a large bowl.
Next, place 2 cups of dry quinoa in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until water is evaporated.
In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together 1 1/2 Tablespoons of lime zest, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of honey, 2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro {chopped}, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Stir in 1/4 cup of lime juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil, and salt & pepper. Whisk all ingredients together until completely combined.
Fluff the cooled quinoa with a fork and place in large bowl with the chopped vegetables. Next pour dressing over top and mix to completely combine.
Serve it up! Optional: you can top with more lime zest or with a little bit of crumbled Queso Fresco cheese.
Southwest Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10–15 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Tex-Mex ingredients are grilled to perfection, tossed with fluffy quinoa, and finished with a Honey Lime Vinaigrette in this Southwest Quinoa Salad!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 3 ears of corn, shucked {remove the stalk & outer peel}
- 2 whole orange peppers
- 2 whole poblano peppers
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups of dry quinoa
- 4 cups of water
Honey Lime Vinaigrette
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons of lime zest
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons of honey
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup of lime juice
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium high heat.
- Place ears of corn, orange bell peppers, and poblano peppers on grill.
- Grill for 10 minutes, turning to grill on all sides. {you will want a nice char on the peppers}
- Remove from grill and let sit to cool down.
- Next, remove the charred skin from the peppers and finely dice. Cut the corn off the cob.
- Cut 1 pint of fresh cherry tomatoes in half.
- Place all vegetables in a large bowl.
- Next, place dry quinoa in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until water is evaporated.
- In a small bowl, mix together lime zest, garlic cloves, honey, fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, lime juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper. Whisk all ingredients together until completely combined.
- Fluff the cooled quinoa with a fork and place in large bowl with the chopped vegetables.
- Pour dressing over top and mix to completely combine.
- Serve it up!
- Optional: you can top with more lime zest or with a little bit of crumbled queso fresco cheese.
