Not even a year ago, I posted this recipe raving about how delicious it was, and now I’m back to tell you just how much I love this quinoa salad. It’s healthy and filling and perfect as a side dish at a barbecue or on it’s own as a weeknight meal.

Quinoa is a versatile grain that can be paired with pretty much anything, and better yet, is super good for you. It’s very high in protein, wheat free, gluten free, organic, and is 100% whole grain. This salad combines black beans (high in fiber and protein), corn, and quinoa for a delicious, filling, and healthy meal or snack. It’s light and fresh and can be eaten warm or cold.

I will give you a heads up though, the cumin and cayenne pepper give this salad a bit of a spicy kick, so if you’re not too keen on the heat, lower those amounts or substitute them with a different spice. The small addition of honey was added for a touch of sweetness against the spiciness and the addition of avocado this time (thanks to a comment suggestion on my last post) was a nice addition next to the flavors of this salad.

I hope you enjoy this summer salad as much as I do!

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad
adapted from The Dish on Delish

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup fresh corn, cut off the cob
• 1 1/2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I didn’t add any because I don’t like cilantro all that much)

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and saute until lightly browned.

Add quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in honey, cumin, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in corn and black beans until heated through. Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro (if using) and a squeeze of fresh lime if desired. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

Start dusting off your Uggs, people, fall is a comin’! This is probably my favorite time of the year. When the air starts getting crisp, the days get shorter, and apple pies are baked weekly. Hot soups cool you down on a chilly night and the smell of pumpkin muffins fill the air. I can’t wait until the leaves start changing color and the outdoors are a mix of autumn colors.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with quinoa recipes because it really is such a nutrient packed grain that I would like to incorporate more into my daily life. Last week I wrote a guest post for Buddha Sport featuring a nutritious kale and quinoa recipe that was really tasty! It had some goat cheese, scallions, and a zesty kick of lemon juice to pull it all together (picture below).

I’ve also been slightly addicted to sweet potatoes which always remind of the fall and Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are considered a super food by many because of it’s high contents of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, fiber, potassium, and complex carbohydrates. They’re also virtually fat-free and are healthier than white potatoes – and in my opinion, a lot tastier! I found a recipe the other day that combined quinoa and sweet potatoes with the addition of coconut milk to make a creamy, rich soup and knew I had to try it. To my surprise, it was super easy to whip up and was so tasty! I literally cannot get enough. I opted to half the recipe, but that still make more than enough for me to have for dinner and lunch the next day. The recipe is courtesy of Food and Whine, a foodie blog filled with yummy recipes and beautiful photographs.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Quinoa Soup
from Food and Whine

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in quinoa, sweet potato, and vegetable stock and turn heat on high until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until the quinoa and sweet potaotes are cooked. Puree mixture with an immersion blender, or in small batches in a regular blender. Return to low heat and add coconut milk and chili powder. Serve topped with yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Today, on one of the hottest days of this summer thus far, I decided that it would be a good idea to go to a hot vinyasa yoga class. To be honest, I didn’t intend on it to be this hot, but I had a morning free for the first time in a while and haven’t been to a class in few weeks. It was so hot in the room that the instructor didn’t turn on any of the heaters. I started doing hot yoga this past May and have fallen in love with the art of yoga. Yoga by itself is relaxing and muscle strengthening enough, but doing it in a 100 degree room is just so much better. Call me crazy, but the aftermath is an amazing feeling. Well, the immediate aftermath is amazing. Tomorrow, my legs and butt might actually hate me.

Now, onto this delicious organic quinoa salad I’m currently addicted to… I’ve been on a hunt for a healthy, hearty, and delicious corn soup/chowder/dish to make with the fresh sweet corn that floods farm stands and fresh markets every summer. Each year, corn on the cob is an obvious side dish in my house because it’s sweet and delicious and that’s all the reason I really think I need. I came across this recipe that combined sweet corn, black beans, and quinoa; a healthy, protein-filled salad that I had to make. I just had to.

So after yoga, yes, right after yoga, sweaty and all, I stopped by the food store to raid the organic isle. I picked up some organic black beans and organic low-sodium chicken broth. [You can use regular black beans and chicken broth, but it was one of those days that I thought that it being 'organic' would make it that much better.]

Well my friends, this was one hell of a salad. Not only have I eaten it for lunch and dinner, but it’s a great snack, side dish, or bring-to-work lunch. It’s filling, tasty, and extremely healthy. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime and you’ve got yourself a hearty little meal right there. And for the record, I did eat it out of a coffee mug, do we have a problem with that? (Handmade coffee mug courtesy of my sister who brought it back for me from Bermuda. Ain’t it pretty?!)

Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad
adapted from The Dish on Delish

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cup fresh corn, cut off the cob
• 1 1/2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (I didn’t add any because I don’t fancy cilantro all that much)

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and saute until lightly browned.

Add quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in corn and black beans until heated through. Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro (if using) and a squeeze of fresh lime if desired. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.