Recipes for Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad Recipe

Technically, quinoa is not a grain but a seed, although it’s used in the same ways as other whole grains. This dish gives you plenty of healthy carbs and the right kind of fats to fuel not just your workout but your whole day. Serves 4 of southwest quinoa salad.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 avocado, diced
½ cup red pepper, diced
¼ cup shallot, minced
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

Quinoa Salad Directions

Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, if not pre-rinsed.
In a medium pot, combine quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil.
Lower heat, cook, covered for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
While quinoa cooks bring a pot of water to boiling. Add diced sweet potato and cook 12 minutes, until they are tender.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, sweet potato, avocado, red pepper, shallot, and cilantro.
Whisk olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Pour dressing into quinoa mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Sounds pretty dang awesome, right?

Give this recipe a try tonight and let us know how much you and your family loved it or what your own variation was!

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Jennifer Cohen Katz

Nutritionist at Fresh Balance Nutrition

FreshBalanceNutrition.com helps you to enjoy whole foods to reach a healthy weight, avoid disease, and feel balanced. Jennifer Cohen Katz is a registered dietitian/ nutritionist that lives the same active, healthy lifestyle she recommends to clients. Her knowledge and passion encompass integrative and functional nutrition, sports nutrition, and whole foods cooking.

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