Southwest Quinoa Salad

My husband works long days with no breaks between his clients.  Because of this, his lunches are always thrown together.  He's been needing more stamina throughout the day, and I wanted to try a few new things to beef up his protein and fiber content in his midday meals.  Thankfully he's not at all picky, so my options are limitless.  I threw together this quinoa salad with anything and everything I could find in the veggie drawer and pantry, and it was a big hit.  Delicious!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tomato, diced

¼ red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, finely diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Shredded chicken

Lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

A splash of olive oil and vinegar or your favorite dressing (Italian dressing is great in this!)

Bring the chicken stock to a boil, add quinoa, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the chicken stock.  Uncover, remove from heat, and fluff with a fork. 

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, then salt and pepper, squeeze the lime juice over the top, and add your dressing of choice.

This is great at room temperature right away but is even better after a day in the refrigerator eaten cold.  Also, all ingredients are optional – you can add or take away depending on your taste.  I have some frozen shredded spicy pork that I’m going to try next time.  I also think this would be delicious with Feta cheese.  Enjoy! =)

P.S.  I had to add this picture.  As I gathered all of the ingredients, I thought I'd snap a "during" pic.  Just as I snapped the picture, my little man (2-year-old) went in for the steal.  This dish was a big hit with him too.