Quinoa Bean Salad
This colorful salad is easy to make and can be portioned out for a week’s worth of fiber-rich lunches. Eat as a stand-alone, or pump up the protein with some shrimp or grilled chicken.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 (5-ounce) cans water-packed white tuna, drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
- ½ cup 100 percent carrot juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Add quinoa to the pan and toast it, shaking pan often, until fragrant and beginning to pop, about four minutes.
- Add 2 cups of water and cover, simmering over medium-low heat until tender, about 12 minutes.
- Set aside to cool and then fluff with a fork.
- Steam or boil asparagus until tender.
- In a large bowl, toss together quinoa, asparagus, tuna, black beans, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallions, walnuts and dried fruit.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together carrot juice, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Pour carrot juice mixture over quinoa mixture and toss.
Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 387; Total Fats: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 296 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 44 g; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 8 g; Protein: 22 g; Iron: 5.7 mg