There are times when I ponder what it might be like to go vegetarian. I made an attempt the other night to walk on the light side by cooking up a veggie burger for myself. All was going along swimmingly – a whole wheat bun, a grain and bean-filled patty, and a dollop of yogurt-dill sauce leftover from the Pan-Fried Bulgur Cakes. The saturated fat count was low, no animals were harmed in the process, and I was feeling very proud of my meatless meal. That is, until I topped the burger with a strip of crispy, salty bacon. It rapidly became clear to me that I am not cut out to be a vegetarian. And let me tell you something – that was the best veggie burger I have ever consumed.
In an attempt to pay penitence for meat-filled indiscretion, I fixed a truly vegetarian dish for lunch today. Quinoa, my whole grain paramour, became a hearty meal when mixed with black beans and corn, and tossed with a spicy and sweet dressing made from lime juice, cumin, chipotle peppers, and honey. It was so satisfying that I felt momentarily guilty for my bacon gaffe the night before.
Combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in medium saucepan set over high heat. Once the water boils, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons honey, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon seeded and minced chipotle pepper. Chipotle peppers are sold in cans and are usually labelled as “Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce”.
While whisking constantly, slowly add 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the chipotle mixture to form a dressing. Set aside.
Stir 1/2 cup cooked black beans and 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) corn kernels into the quinoa.
Add the chipotle dressing to the quinoa and gently toss to combine. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Serve.
Other quinoa recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Quinoa with Braised Fennel, Thyme & Toasted Almonds
Cookin’ Canuck’s Quinoa with Caramelized Mushrooms, Soy Sauce & Ginger
101 Cookbooks’ Double Broccoli Quinoa
Gluten Free Goddess’ Quinoa Salad with Lime & Fresh Mint
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Radishes, Cucumbers & Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
Quinoa with Black Beans, Corn & Chipotle Pepper, Lime & Honey Dressing
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seeded & minced chipotle peppers (sold in cans as chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen (defrosted) corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine quinoa and water in medium saucepan set over high heat. Once the water boils, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, ground cumin, salt, and chipotle pepper. While whisking constantly, slowly add 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the chipotle mixture to form a dressing. Set aside.
Stir black beans and corn kernels into the quinoa. Add the chipotle dressing to the quinoa and gently toss to combine. Stir in cilantro. Serve.
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish or 3 to 4 as an entree.
Kalyn says
Oh yes, it looks fantastic!
Liza (Jersey Cook) says
Oh yum! This sounds right up my alley! I've been having a love affair with chipotles lately and I love that your recipe doesn't call for cilantro. I just can't get myself to like it – it tastes like soap to me. I will definitely be trying this as soon as I get some quinoa in my pantry.
pegasuslegend says
looks great I really know I am missing out still havent found this anywhere, going to check out whole foods in Orlando hope they have it!~ thanks saving all these recipes for it
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
Yes, another great quinoa recipe to add to my repertoire. Ever since I started cooking quinoa in the rice cooker, I've been making more salads and side dishes like this.
Melanie says
This looks delicious! I have two whole boxes of quinoa to use up and to be honest, I don't have many great tried-and-true recipes…can't wait to try this!
Sarah Lenhart says
This looks fabulous! I've been a little hesitant to make quinoa dishes because the first time I had it, it was made pretty poorly and therefore tasted terrible. Thanks to your recipe, I think I'll go out and conquer that fear. 🙂
Anna says
It looks like a refreshing salad, I love beans in salads, it makes it so meaty. Lovely picture too.
Chef E says
Oh I have all the ingredients for this, and we love quinoa. What a beautiful beautiful presentation!
emily S says
This looks soooooo goood … now all I need is lime, and chipotle peppers : ) I may try some substitutes : )))
Thanks!
Angie's Recipes says
The quinoa dish looks very very tempting! The tangy honey dressing makes the dish even more appealing.
Tanya says
This looks so yummy. The BSI (blogger secret ingredient) this week is honey too in case you're interested in submitting your recipe (I'm not hosting or anything).
[email protected] Cie Kocham says
Love the twist on quinoa! I always enjoying sprucing up dishes in different ways. My husband and I are big fans of chipotle peppers so this is definitely a keeper!
Emily Malloy (formerly Ziegler) says
This looks so good. I love everything that you have combined! And I adore that you have made a protein-full dish… the great amount of protein in quinoa, but also with the complete protein marriage between corn and black beans.
Perfect! I wish I could buzz it twice!
Kerstin says
Mmm, looks addicting – I love quinoa!
Joanne says
I've made a quinoa salad like this before, minus the honey-lime dressing. Which I think is what really makes this so awesome!
Cookin' Canuck says
Thanks so much for all of your comments!
Liza – Sorry, this does actually include cilantro, but I think it would taste just as good without it. It's added flavor, but not an integral part of the recipe.
Lydia – Rice cooker, huh? I'm going to have to try that.
Sarah – Give quinoa another try. It really is a tasty (and quick!) whole grain.
Emily – I highly recommend using the chipotles in this recipe. They add a unique smoky flavor.
citronetvanille says
That's funny, I just posted my quinoa and beans salad, seems like we're on the same wave. I love your version and addition of honey!
Mark @ Cafe Campana says
I haven't cooked with quinoa but it appears to be a lot like couscous. This is a really healthy looking dish. Thanks.
Abby says
This is really tasty. I can see why you want to defrost the corn, I didn't and mine ended up a little juicy.
Cookin' Canuck says
Silvie- I'm looking forward to checking out your quinoa and bean salad!
Mark – While I am fond of whole wheat couscous, I prefer quinoa even more. It has a slightly nutty flavor and a more substantial texture than couscous.
Abby – I'm glad you enjoyed this. Yes, do be sure to defrost the corn first so that you're not adding extra moisture into the salad. Of course, fresh corn kernels would be even better!
Danielle says
Mmmm that looks so healthy and delicious!
Trudy (veggie num num) says
The dressing sounds so light and delish! What a wonderful veggie lunch.
sweetlife says
great recipe, I love wuinoa and the dressing I can imagine adds great flavor..
sweetlife
jen says
i love quinoa salad, your dressing sounds awesome. we will definitely be using it next time!
[email protected] says
I love quinoa – this recipe looks fantastic! Great flavors going on.
Maria says
Love this one Dara!
Jenny says
I am a quinoa fanatic! This one sounds great!
Tracy says
Love it! I still have yet to try quinoa…crazy, right? 🙂 I definitely want to give this a try.
ivoryhut says
I love the addition of corn! I always enjoy a little crunch with quinoa, and this sounds really good.
Michelle @ Brown Eyed Baker says
Awesome summer dish! I love quinoa and black beans 🙂
Melody Fury - GourmetFury.com says
This is a beautiful recipe! I would love for you to enter it to our 8th monthly veggie contest. This month's theme vegetable is corn!
More details: http://tiny.cc/ikije
Have a great day 🙂
Natalie (The City Sisters) says
The is such a perfect recipe! We are cooking for a brood this weekend in Texas and this will be the perfect side dish to our pulled pork tacos! Can't wait to try it!!
linda-rd says
this looks divine. quinoa is a very healthy gain and you can do alot with it..thanks for sharing your recipe
Christy says
Finally a recipe with quinoa that I really enjoy. I’ve been wanting to use this grain, but hadn’t found the right recipe to eat it regularly. Thank you! I didn’t have honey or the peppers so I substituted agave nectar and hot sauce, seems that the sweet spicy combo still worked.
Kimberly says
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and each time, I find it tastes even better.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
I’m so glad to hear that, Kimberly. It’s one of my favorites, too.