Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Sometimes you just hit it out of the ballpark!  This was a huge hit at today's potluck lunch. Using canned beans and canned corn makes the cooking go a lot faster!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

• 1½ cups quinoa
• 1½ cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
• 1½ tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1½ cups cooked corn, rinsed if canned
• ¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

For dressing
• 5 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
• 1¼ teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil

• In a bowl wash quinoa (in 4-5 changes cold water), rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear. Drain.
• Using a rice cooker (or saucepan) of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Line the steamer basket with a fine kitchen towel and drain quinoa, saving the boiling water. Set steamer basked over the boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool.
• While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the quinoa is cool, add beans, corn, bell pepper, and parsley. Toss well.
• For the dressing, whisk together lime juice, salt, chili power, cumin and oil in a small measuring cup.
• Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
• Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Based on a recipe from Epicurious.