Hi Everyone,
I have to tell you I am on two major kicks right now, chipotle and quinoa! I don’t know what it is but I can’t get enough. I am sure you can tell from the recipes I have recently posted. Well today I thought why not combine the two? Oh yah, chipotle peppers with quinoa, win win combo if you ask me. So let me share with you one of my newest, bold, smokey flavored recipes; Chipotle Southwestern Quinoa Salad.
This little quiona salad is loaded with flavor, it is thick, filling and mighty darn good! It’s made with black beans, corn, jalapeno, fresh tomatoes and lime juice. Of course you already know I added chipotle peppers, which gives it a nice kick of heat. This is truly a wonderful salad. Plus it is so hardy that one serving will fill you! Which is perfect for lunch!!
The recipe is super easy to make, I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth for an extra boost of flavor, but feel free to cook it in water or vegetable broth. While my quinoa was cooking, in a large frying pan, I heated up some olive oil with garlic, onion and a freshly diced jalapeno pepper, sautéed it until it was tender. Once the veggies were tender, I tossed in some roasted corn that I bought in the frozen section of Trader Joe’s, black beans, a little cilantro and lime juice. So easy! Then of course I added the chipotle peppers. In the recipe I said to use two peppers, but honestly I used 6 peppers. I like the heat, so use your best judgement. Toss in the quinoa and some fresh tomatoes and your meal is done. This little salad is great as a meal, a side dish or makes a delicious filling for tacos!
- 1 cup red quinoa (or quinoa of your choice)
- 2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 11/2 cup black beans, rinsed
- 1 cup roasted corn
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped or 1 tablespoon Garden Gourmet Cilantro
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced, plus 2 tbsp. of adobo sauce (add more for more heat)
- 1 cup tomatoes, seeded, diced
- Rinse quinoa and place in a pot over medium low heat with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until all of the broth is evaporated. Take off the heat and fluff with a fork.
- In a large skillet, over medium low heat, add 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil; heat the olive oil until warmed. Add garlic, onions and jalapeno. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add black beans, corn, lime juice, cilantro and chipolte pepper; cook until warmed. Mix in the quinoa until everything is incorporated. Stir in tomatoes. Serve warm or cold.
Since this recipe makes a pretty big batch, you can freeze it. I place it in small ziplock freezer bags for individual servings and open the corner of it and pop it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Turns out perfect!!
Now if you haven’t tried quinoa yet, I highly recommend you give this good for you grain a try! It kind of reminds me of rice. It’s healthy, filling, loaded with fiber and it’s a slow release carb meaning it won’t raise your blood sugar level.
Have a super wonderful day!
Toodles,
Jennifer
