I love quinoa salad, and I love this awesome, nutrient-packed, powerhouse meal in particular, which is great for a filling lunch or light dinner.  It’s also great served on a bed of spinach or with some sautéed shrimp on top.

Superfood Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Prep Time – 20 minutes
Cook Time – 20 hour
Makes – 4 servings
Modified from the original recipe on Iowa Girl Eats.

Ingredients:
For the Salad:

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa (here’s how, and I usually cook it in veggie broth rather than water for more flavor)
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 orange, peeled and segments chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup pomegranate arils (about 1 pomegranate worth)
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt & pepper

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 2 lemons, juiced (need 1/4 cup juice; I only needed 1 lemon)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• dash of sweetener (agave nectar, stevia or white sugar; I used 1 packet Truvia)
• salt & pepper
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (original recipe called for 6 Tablespoons, but I halved it to keep it light)

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa. Set aside to cool.
2. For the Lemon Vinaigrette: add lemon juice, garlic, sweetener, salt and pepper into a small bowl and whisk in oil.
3. Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange segments, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Serve your delicious quinoa salad cold or at room temperature.