Quinoa Black Bean Salad Salad Recipe

First, I bought a bag of this at Costco. I knew it was very nutritious and I decided it was time to try it. I cooked a batch of it just like rice and used it to serve with a stir fry dish. The next batch I cooked in broth to see if it was more flavorful, but it turned out I preferred it cooked in the water. Nevertheless, I still had a couple of cups left of that batch, and when I went looking for recipes, I found one on line for Quinoa Black Bean Salad. I just didn't have all the ingredients, and there were some ingredients I don't like. So I decided to use the recipe as a basis for making my own version. What I will share here is the result. We had it as a side dish for the first meal, and then, when I had to be gone a day, I left this with some Creamy Cucumber Salad and Serbian Tomato Salad so my husband could have his own salad bar lunch to take out of the frig when he got home for lunch. (It was a very hot day, so cold foods were in order.)I finished the rest for dinner that night. We liked it, and I will make it again.

1.If you haven't' already done it, slice the onion and chop the tomatoes, celery, and bell peppers.
2.Combine the vegetables, quinoa, black beans, almonds, and feta cheese in a bowl that holds at least one and one-half quarts.
3.Mix the ingredients very well. Pour the dressing over all, and mix thoroughly again.

For best taste, chill for at least an hour before serving and stir once again. This is an ideal salad to make a day ahead and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Next time I make this, I may add one or more of these ingredients just to see what happens: a can of tuna, a chopped hard boiled egg, two slices of crisp-cooked bacon, or maybe even a handful of toasted slivered almonds. Don't be afraid to add anything you think will blend well with the rest of the flavors.

Update: This is now my favorite dump recipe. I have substituted a can of tuna for the black beans, and then added sliced cucumbers, chopped red bell pepper, the chopped celery, the tomatoes, and some sliced olives. It was delicious. I often substitute chunks of pre-broiled chicken strips, which I buy at Costco, for the beans. Now I'm to the place where I start with the quinoa, add a protein source, and enough vegetables that go with the protein source and each other to provide a lot of crunch. I always add the slivered almonds.