We recently realized we’ve been spending an unreasonable amount of money on food (New York is EXPENSIVE), so packing lunch is becoming rather necessary. The tricky part is actually deciding what to bring. David’s first suggestion was this salad from Eating Well, to which I automatically responded “ugh, but it takes soo long.”
But…it makes a huge bowl of food that keeps pretty well for several days; it has grains and protein and veg; it doesn’t need to be reheated; it doesn’t put you in a food coma…so it basically ticks all the boxes when it comes to our desk lunch requirements. So I took a hard look at the original recipe, figured it definitely didn’t need to be so complicated, and tweaked it down to this version. The flavors are nearly identical to the original, but the method is streamlined. I traded cooked beans for canned, fresh corn for frozen, and found I didn’t even notice. The one step you really can’t skip is roasting and peeling the poblano peppers-this does make a difference.
A nice bonus: eating this in the middle of Winter will (almost) make you think you’re at a Summer cookout. You know, until you remember you need to put on 4 layers before venturing outside. You’ll just have to make it again when it gets warm. But maybe (do) use fresh corn then.
Black Bean, Corn, & Quinoa Salad
Course: Desk Lunch, UncategorizedCuisine: Grain Bowl6
servings25
$35
minutesThis isn’t one where you have to prep too much. If you want to wait to cut up the onion and other veggies, you should have enough time to do it between steps. You can slice the onion right before cooking it, and cut the tomatoes, cilantro, and poblano peppers while the onion and quinoa are cooking.
If you are packing this up for future lunches like me, I would keep the queso and avocado aside, and just add them when you are ready to eat. This will keep the cheese from getting soggy, and the avocado green.
Ingredients
2 poblano peppers
3/4 cup quinoa
6 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 can black beans
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice, plus 1 lime cut into 6 wedges
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Directions
- Turn the oven to broil. Place the poblanos on a small baking sheet, and broil on the top rack for 10 minutes, or until charred in spots, turning once after 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven, place in a small bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, foil, or a kitchen towel, for at least 10 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, boil 4 cups water. Add the quinoa and plenty of salt. Boil for about 15 minutes, until popping open but not totally mushy.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high. When hot, add the onions, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cumin, and cook stirring occasionally until you see browned spots (5-10 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl.
- Peel the skins off the poblanos, remove the seeds and stems, then chop the peppers into small pieces, and add to the bowl.
- Drain and rinse the black beans, and add to the bowl.
- Drain quinoa, and rinse under cold water. Spread on a plate to finish cooling.
- Add 1 Tbsp oil to the same frying pan, then add the corn, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add to the bowl.
- Add tomatoes, quinoa, and cilantro to the bowl, and mix together with the remaining 3 Tbps olive oil, lime juice, and more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the crumbled queso last, and top with sliced avocado. Serve with the extra lime wedges for squeezing over.
Recipe Notes
- Adapted from Eating Well, July/August 2013
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