DOUBLE RAINBOW OH MY GOD! JK guys. That’s not ACTUALLY a double rainbow. Sure is pretty like a rainbow though eh? This southwest quinoa salad with green chile avocado dressing is another one of my “it’s way too freakin hot to cook” recipes. Also, I busted out my mini-food processor from a box just to make this for you. So there ya go.
Well, today I am at a wedding (or will be when this post hits!), my BFFs wedding! Getting all gussied up in a cabin on the water. Wondering how I am going to give a heartfelt, yet funny speech to hundreds of people WITHOUT getting too wasted first. It’s basically impossible. The alcohol calms my nerves, WAIT…… THE ALCOHOL MAKES ME CRY! Oh god. What am I doing?
See? The stress you guys. Of someone ELSE’S wedding. EGADS!
OK OK enough of my rambles. Should we discuss this salad? Since this is, you know, a food blog post about salad? Oooooooooohkay.
DOUBLE RAINBOW OH MY GOD!
Heh. Seriously now, this is really one awesome salad. That’s not red quinoa up there! That’s white quinoa cooked in Southwest spices. Oh yes. Red New Mexico chile powder and cumin create a super spiced protein in the quinoa. I was sort of trying to mimic that heavily spiced ground taco beef that’s normally in taco salads, but you know, healthy, and vegetarian.
It worked.
This quinoa, although too heavily spiced on it’s own, totally kills it mixed with all the other goodness going on.
Aaaaaaaaand you can’t do Southwest without green chiles! I spent about a week in New Mexico a few years ago, and those peeps LUUUV their green chiles. It’s on ERRRRRRYTHING! Green chile ice cream anyone?
So, between the quinoa “taco meat,” the creamy green chile avocado dressing, and the fresh summery veggies, this Southwest quinoa salad hit it out of the park. Totes delicious.
- 1 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon New Mexico chile powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1⅓ cup water, divided
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1 Tablespoon sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons canned green chiles
- 2 limes, juiced, plus 1 lime quartered for serving
- Salt and pepper
- 2 ears corn, removed from the cob
- ½ can black beans, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- A large handul of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chile powder and cumin, and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup water and the quinoa. Stir and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine avocado, sour cream, green chiles, lime juice, and ⅓ cup water in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and blend in.
- In a large serving bowl, combine quinoa, corn, beans, bell pepper, green onion, cheese, cilantro, and tomatoes. Toss with dressing and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with lime slices to squeeze onto salad.
Alrighty, wish me luck with my speech!
Happy weekend friends,
Trish
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Patricia Bozeman is a cook. A whiskey lover. A dreamer. A wine-o. A tea drinker. A dog lover. A wife. An extrovert with a dash of social anxiety. A Jeopardy watcher. A dress wearer (because she's a lady, duh). A crass and slightly deaf old woman inside of a 33 year old body. 
That dressing! Dang Girl!!
Thank you! 🙂
what gorgeous salad! pretty sure I could eat this for lunch daily and never get bored with it
Ohhhh heeeeyyy theeerrrrre gorgeous salad bowl. Don’t you look super fine! You’re everything I need in my life, and I’ll be seeing you real soon 😉 Also, oh my god yum! How delicious does that quinoa sound?! Thanks so much for this delicious inspo.
Ha! Thanks so much! Let me know what you think of the recipe!
I love how you spiced up the quinoa! Great idea.
Thanks so much Ann!
This is a beautiful salad Trish – That dressing!!! I hope your speech went great and that you had a lovely weekend!
Thanks Erin! The weekend was awesome! Up at Cama Beach on Camano Island.
I’ll try anything with avocado on it! 😉 This looks delicious! I love the addition of quinoa, so the salad has some extra staying power 🙂 I’m definitely trying this!
Thanks Liz! Let me know what you think!
Such a pretty salad! I love salads with lots of different flavors, colors and textures. Hope your speech went well – you’re so courageous! I could never speak in front of a big crowd (maybe that’s why I’m a blogger, ha!).
ha! Thanks Michelle! The speech went well! Cut it short so I didn’t cry my eyes out. 🙂