Recipe: Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad

  • Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad
  • Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad
  • Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad
5/5 - (4 votes)
Recipe: Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad is an extremely suitable dish for winter-spring. It is a nutritional supplement that keeps you healthy and warms your soul.

Recipe Description

It’s that time of year again.  That special time when you come home after a long day at the office, arms full of parcels from running post-work errands, only to trip on something on your front doorstep.
Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad

It’s Someone-Left-Zucchini-On-My-Doorstep season again.

Personally, I haven’t tripped on any zucchini, pattypan, and other summer squash just yet, but I have in the past and I know it’s coming.  I don’t mind, really – after all, who can say no to fresh summer produce right out of the garden?  And in a season when fruit seems to take center stage, it’s nice to have a source for free veggies.

Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad

But until my friends & neighbors start leaving tasty obstacles on my doorstep, I make do with all the beautiful squash being sold at ye olde farmer’s market.  With prices like $1/lb for mix-n-match squash (and peaches, and apricots, and…), how can one go wrong?

I scored a nice bunch of these beauties over the weekend with no particular recipe in mind.  I like to let my produce inspire me rather than the other way ’round, especially in the summertime when the markets are resplendent with fresh, vibrant, just-picked fruits & vegetables.  I chose the smallest ones so they’d be nice & tender (and, let’s face it, cute), making it easy to use them either cooked or raw – a huge plus during the summer when there are days too hot for cooking, or even grilling.

Quinoa, Black Bean & Summer Squash Salad

Because of the warmer weather, my stove & I have been seeing a lot less of each other.  The long dates we used to have on a nightly basis are now happening just a couple times a week when I cook up big batches of beans or grains to use in salads & other dishes.  And as we enter Scary Week, making a big batch of quinoa to stretch out into different meals is the way to go.  It’s beyond nutritious, filling without being overwhelming, and because of its versatility & high yield, very cost-effective

With all that fabulous squash I’d picked up, I was tempted to make my Summer Veggies & Quinoa with Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto.  But since I had no nuts in the house whatsoever, I scrapped that pesto-making plan pretty quickly.  Instead, I made use of what I had available to me and made a quick, simple salad that required zero cooking now that my quinoa was made.  With smoky black beans and crunchy, fresh summer veggies all tossed together in a simple citrus dressing, voila!  Dinner – and lunch for the next two days – was served.

All that for less than a buck-fifty per serving.  Gotta love that!  🙂

Details Recipe Information

Ingredients

Method

Prepare the dressing by vigorously whisking together the last five ingredients in a small bowl until completely combined.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the quinoa, beans, squash, tomato & onion, and toss together.  Pour the dressing into the salad and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the flavors incorporate.
Serve alone, atop a bed of greens, or as a nice side to grilled meats or fish.  Enjoy!
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