Quinoa & Black Bean Mexican Salad for Holiday Potluck

'Tis the season for potluck dishes!  If you're interested in sharing a healthy, high-protein, and delicious option to offset all the indulgent goodies, this Quinoa & Black Bean Salad with a Mexican twist is festive and fabulous!  It's easy and quick to prepare and can be served as a standalone salad or with tortilla chips.

Here's the simple recipe:

Quinoa & Black Bean Mexican Salad:
1 cup of quinoa, rinsed and drained (I used TJ's Organic Tricolor Quinoa)
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 15 oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 TBS salsa (I used Casa Sanchez Medium Salsa Roja)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 TBS crumbled feta or goat cheese

Quinoa always needs to be rinsed in cold water to remove bitter-tasting saponins, so don't take a short-cut on this.

Combine the rinsed and drained quinoa with the vegetable stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until the liquid is gone and the germ has sprouted from the seed.

Remove from heat. Fluff the quinoa a few times with a fork or spoon as it cools. When cool, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. You're done!  Enjoy!