Kaleidoscopic Quinoa Salad

Optional jalapeño adds heat, and avocado or pepitas can make each serving more filling. Linda Tyler includes this recipe in The Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook.

The dressing combines lemon juice, tahini, vinegar, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. It takes only a few minutes to whisk or blend, then you toss it with the quinoa and vegetables.

You can also switch the beans or vegetables for what you already have. This salad makes busy weeks easier because it keeps well in the fridge for four to five days.

Make it before a work week, a study week, or a run of packed lunches. The mix of colorful plant foods adds protein and anti-inflammatory compounds, and it gives you a ready meal without daily cooking.

This recipe was reprinted with permission from Linda Tyler of Gracious Vegan and excerpted from The Plant-Based Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook. You can find her website here and her YouTube channel here.

Dressing ingredients

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa from 1 cup uncooked
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 15-ounce can small red, black, or kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 –1½ cups fresh tomatoes diced, or cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ –1 cup red onion diced, or green onions, sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn
• ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• Optional: ½–1 jalapeño pepper deveined and deseeded if desired, finely chopped
• Optional: 1 avocado peeled and diced
• Optional: Handful of pepitas or other roasted seeds

Instructions

• Make the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or blend them in a small blender. Set aside.
• Make the salad: In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, add the salad ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Toss the dressing with the salad. Taste and adjust seasonings (especially lemon juice, salt, and cumin).
• Serve the salad immediately or chill to serve later. It will last 4–5 days in the refrigerator. It does not freeze well.

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