Tahini, lemon juice and a little chipotle powder make a sour spicy seasoning for heart-healthy quinoa. Green onions, snow peas and bell peppers make a delightfully crunchy contrast to the cooked beans and grains in this satisfying salad.
This recipe comes to us from Kristina of FormerChef.com.
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Serves 10
For the salad:
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cups red quinoa*, rinsed well and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups cooked beans of choice, cooled
- or
- 2 cups canned beans of choice, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup snow peas, sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
For the tahini chili dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini paste**
- 4 ounces olive oil
- 2 ounces lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt, to taste
**Quinoa is a heart-healthy grain as well as a complete protein. It can be found in the grain section of most grocery stores. Feel free to substitute brown rice if you can’t find quinoa.
**A sesame seed paste found in health food section or the health food or specialty section of most grocery stores.
To make the salad:
Pour 4 cups of vegetable stock in a large pot over medium high heat heat. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool.
Place the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 4-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms have browned and all the moisture has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Combine the quinoa, beans, mushrooms, green onion, celery, snow peas and bell peppers together in a large bowl.
To make the tahini chili dressing:
Whisk together the tahini paste, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with chipotle chili powder and salt to taste.
To complete the Tahini Quinoa Bean Salad:
Toss the salad so that all ingredients are evenly distributed. Season the servings with dressing to taste and enjoy.
