I'm not entirely sure what I want to make today. I have a plethora of beans and quinoa in the pantry that I'm trying to use up. So, I'm thinking that I'm going to make some kind of quinoa and black bean concoction. I don't ordinarily cook with these things together. Although it's not unheard of them in combination. Black beans are native to the Americas and quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America. This makes them both relatively prevalent in Latin American food. So, I decided to play up that combination in this Quinoa Salad with black beans, tomatoes, corn, garlic, shallots, bay leaves, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
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Variations of Quinoa Salad
I'm not the biggest fan of salads ever. I honestly just don't really like lettuce. After having worked in the restaurant industry for so long, paying an excessive amount for lettuce just doesn't excite me any more! It's one of the more lackluster foods and is difficult to keep fresh. I almost never finish lettuce that I buy. It's easier to make work if you grow lettuce for yourself. Although that's not necessarily the most feasible thing possible. So, when it comes to making salads? I'm much more likely to use lettuce as a garnish and go for salads that are more quinoa-based.
There is much debate over whether or not you should soak beans ahead of time before cooking! I ordinarily recommend it with hardier beans, like black beans and pinto beans. With softer beans, like white beans, I find that it makes less of a difference.You can soak the white beans in cold water for at least 12 hours. This will cut about an hour off of the cooking process and results in slightly softer beans. If you're making hummus or something that requires a smoother consistency, there's an argument to be made for going with the longer soak!However, I skipped it this time and just went for a quick soak. I didn't have the foresight to soak the beans ahead of time. I also knew that I was going to purée them in with walnuts, so they were going to have a little bit coarser consistency, anyway.
Add beans to a pot and fill with 6 cups of water. Bring, uncovered, to a boil.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the lid and remove from heat. Let sit for an hour.
Cook Beans
After the beans have soaked, drain and rinse.
Return the beans to the pot and cover with another 6 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 2-3 hours, or until tender. You may need to adjust the temperature to keep them from boiling as they cook down.They should still keep their shape and not turn to mush. But theoretically putting a fork in them would split them in half.
Quinoa
Once the black beans are almost entirely cooked, add the quinoa and additional 2 cups water.I also tend to adjust the salt, pepper, and other seasonings at this point if it's needed. Seasoning is largely to taste, so adjust based on your personal preference. When making everything from scratch, like with this recipe, I usually like to add spices throughout the cooking process to add flavor, but make sure that they're not overpowering. This recipe does call for 8 cups of water, though, so it can easily taste diluted!
Bring back to a simmer and cover. Cook for an additional 40 minutes.
After cooking quinoa, remove from heat and let sit covered for another 10 minutes. Then, fluff with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon and let cool completely.You can add the beans and quinoa to the refrigerator to speed up this process. Just make sure that it's cooled completely before continuing.
Prepare Salad
Adjust seasoning to taste, add corn, and serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For more tips and tricks, I have an entire article on The Fundamentals of Stovetop Black Beans. This article can be particularly helpful if you want to soak the beans overnight beforehand. I also have another article on The Fundamentals of Slow Cooker Black Beans if you'd prefer to use a crock pot, instead of the stove. This takes 8 about hours, but is hands off and doesn't require soaking the beans.
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