Quinoa & Black Rice Salad with Cumin & Avocado is a salad recipe that makes for a great lunch, or an easy dinner. This vegetarian rice salad is easy to make and incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
½c.short-grain black riceor substitute another color of short-grain rice
1c.red quinoarinsed well (or substitue another color of quinoa)
1bay leaf
¼tsp.kosher salt
4T.extra-virgin olive oildivided
1small onionfinely chopped
3large garlic clovesminced
2tsp.cumin seeds
3T.freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼c.chopped fresh cilantro
¼c.chopped flat-leaf parsley
2T.1″ pieces chives
salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
2avocadospeeled, pitted, and sliced into wedges
1lemonsliced into wedges
Instructions
Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, combine the quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the quinoa and let it sit in the hot saucepan, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add this to quinoa. Then add the rice to the quinoa mixture and stir well. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.
Notes
Note: black rice and red quinoa are available at better supermarkets and at natural foods and specialty foods stores. I found mine at Whole Foods.Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, November 2011
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.