Peruvian Quinoa Salad with Queso Fresco
I have to admit, I am last on the bandwagon when it comes to cooking with quinoa. My bad. In fact, I am sure my bestie / foodie friend Gina is laughing at me now as she reads this post. I know quinoa has gained popularity over the last several years, but I honestly have never cooked with it. My bad, again.
When I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in Walt Disney World several weeks ago, quinoa was served at several of the lunches and dinners. Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse, full of fiber and protein. It was then I realized not only its health benefits but also how versatile it was.
Well, I finally crawled out from under that rock and experimented with this South American whole grain.
I’d like to introduce you to Peruvian Quinoa Salad with Queso Fresco – my first quinoa dish everrrrrrrrrr! You can stop laughing now Gina.
Have you ever heard of Raw Spice Bar? Raw Spice Bar is a really cool company which offers freshly ground spice blends from around the world delivered right to your door each month. Think of it as a “spice of the month club.” For a $6 fee each month, subscribers receive 3 different spice blends from one geography or region, enough to create 3 dishes serving 8-12 people. Recipes are also included with your spice order. It’s pretty unique and lets you experience global flavors you may have not tried before.As was the case with my spice pack. I received the May Spice Blends which focused on The Andes in Peru. I received the popular Aji Amarillo, Peruvian Spice Rub, and Pink Peppercorn Blend. I have never made anything Peruvian so it was really fun to experiment. Then, when I realized that quinoa originated from the Andes region too, I knew I just had to create something with it.I used red quinoa for this dish but you can really use any type you like. I also tried to stick with the traditional Peruvian ingredients of beans, cilantro, queso fresco and corn. This was really delicious. This Peruvian Quinoa Salad with Queso Fresco perfect for a weeknight or even a party because a little goes a long way.
I hope you enjoy. Let me know how you like it. Don’t forget to check out the Raw Spice Bar website for more information about their service.
- 3 cups red quinoa cooked and cooled
- 1 cup queso fresco
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup black beans drained
- 1/2 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup red pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 teaspoons Aji Amarillo
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Cool completely.
- Cut queso fresco into small cubes.
- Finely dice onion, pepper and cilantro.
- Add quinoa to a medium bowl.
- Mix in queso fresco, corn, black beans, onion. pepper, and cilantro.
- Add seasoning to salad and mix together.
- Add fresh lime juice, vinegar and olive oil and toss to coat.
Disclosure: I received product from Raw Spice Bar to help facilitate this post and create an original recipe. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
Visit Melissa Russo | How Does Your Garden Grow?’s profile on Pinterest.
Raw Spice Bar sounds cool Melissa, and love this unusual regional dish!
Melissa, Like you, I was late to the quinoa party. I’ve discovered that dry toasting it helps a lot to create a flavor and give it more “heft.” (Left untoasted quinoa seems too light to me if that makes sense.) I love how you’ve taken the Peruvian roots of the grain and turned the flavors into a salad.