For this dish, I actually wrote down a list of ingredients and measurements. Feel free to taste as you go, and let me know if you made any alterations to the dish.

I found this salad at a health food store, and thought it was a perfect lunch or even side dish. So, I tried to replicate it as best as possible. The fresh parsley and lemon makes it crisp and refreshing, and the quinoa gives the dish amazing nutritional benefits.

Ingredients:

2 cup cooked quinoa*

1 can black beans (drain and rinse; I prefer Goya brand because of flavor and price)

1 cup corn (use frozen corn, since it’s crisper and fresher; thaw and rinse)

1 cup edamame (buy in the frozen department already shelled; thaw and rinse.)

1 ½ cup fresh curly parsley (picked off the stems and rinsed)

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 bunch of green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 T olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt, pepper and garlic powder

*To Cook Quinoa:

Similar to rice, you can use a 2:1 (liquid to quinoa) ratio for cooking. It will more than double in size, so approximately 1 cup of dried quinoa will yield 2 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa.

Measure 1-cup quinoa, and then rinse in cold water. Place quinoa in a small pot, and cover with 2 cups of cold water.  For this recipe, I replaced about ¼ cup of the water with lemon juice, and I added 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes (or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy). Remove from the burner, fluff with a fork and let cool.

To Make the Salad:

In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Stir together. Season to your liking, and enjoy! I thought the dish tasted better at room temperature, but you’ll definitely want to store in an airtight container in the fridge if you aren’t serving it right away.