Mexican Quinoa Salad with Hot Honey & Lime Vinaigrette

Keen On Quinoa

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Hot Honey & Lime Vinaigrette

Salad

Here’s a bright, zesty quinoa salad that’s packed with charred corn, black beans, peppers, Cotija, and more – all tossed with a fabulous hot honey and lime vinaigrette. Yum!

Recently, I tried a recipe from the NY Times that used a lime and honey dressing on a watermelon pineapple salad. I tinkered with the dressing by changing it to hot honey and adding Mexican oregano and the result was a taste explosion!

Speaking of hot honey, I highly recommend Spicy Shark Hot Honey. The honey is steeped in cinnamon and infused with habaneros. Not too hot, definitely more than a jalapeño, but the heat is tempered by the sweetness of the cinnamon. This is our new favorite in the pantry, although you can’t go wrong with Mike’s Hot Honey either.

I also highly recommend using Mexican oregano, which comes from an entirely different plant and has a different flavor profile than regular Italian/Mediterranean oregano. I like it so much it has replaced traditional oregano in my spice drawer. Try a small jar from Penzeys. 

Now I needed a salad to go with the dressing which is how we get to this Mexican-inspired quinoa salad. This recipe is extremely adaptable, substitute orzo or couscous for the quinoa and use your favorite summer vegetables. I used orange bell pepper, red onions and fresh grilled corn for color and crunch, and paired with the quinoa, black beans and Cotija cheese for protein and fiber. I love the salty Cotija cheese but feta will work too. Don’t buy the pre-crumbled cheeses as they are never as flavorful as the cheese you crumble yourself.

Quinoa comes in a variety of colors, but I think the white works best as it has a mild flavor and fluffs up nicely. I made the quinoa with chicken broth but you can use water or vegetable broth too. Be sure the quinoa is COMPLETELY COOLED before making and dressing the salad, otherwise the quinoa will soak up all the dressing and the veggies will lose their crunch.

This salad is great as a meal or a side dish. The first time we made this I added shredded rotisserie chicken but the salad was so filling it did not need the chicken at all (but I wouldn’t say no to some grilled shrimp on here). Although no garnish is necessary, if you want to use up the leftover half of red onion, make pickled onions and toss them in.

Drizzle everything with the Hot Honey & Lime Vinaigrette … Wow!

Vinaigrette ingredients:

2 fresh limes, zest 1 lime and squeeze both for 4 tablespoons juice
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons hot honey
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons good Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup white or red quinoa
2 cups chicken broth, water or vegetable broth
1 orange pepper, diced
2 cobs of fresh corn, grilled and cut from the cob
½ small red onion, diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth or water to a boil. Add the quinoa and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Once cooled, transfer to a large bowl and cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

Make the vinaigrette. In a small nonreactive bowl or jar whisk the lime juice, lime zest, apple cider vinegar, hot honey and seasonings together. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and whisk until well emulsified. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. Makes 2/3 cup dressing.

Put the cooled quinoa in a large bowl, drizzle 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette over the quinoa and stir to coat.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Drizzle with more vinaigrette to taste. Season to taste with Kosher salt if necessary.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

Dressing recipe slightly adapted from NY Times recipe for Spicy Watermelon Salad with Pineapple and Lime