Smoky Summer Corn Quinoa Salad with BBQ Tahini Sauce
Folks! This summer salad is a MUST make! Featuring all of my favorite summertime veggies like fresh corn, vine ripened tomatoes, green beans and lots of fresh cilantro. The whole bowl is drizzled in my new favorite tahini bbq sauce. This sauce is chock full of flavor and the texture is amazing. I’m thinking we make bbq chicken next with this sauce. Anyhow, we drizzled it over this salad which is so hearty and wholesome that it can be a complete meal.
I hope you all love this salad as much as we do. It’s going on rotation for the next month while all of these veggies are still cranking at our farm.
Smoky Corn Quinoa Salas with BBQ Tahini Sauce
Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 6
BBQ Tahini Sauce- 1/3 cup well stirred tahini (I like the Soom brand)
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 cup water to thin
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or ghee
- 3 cobs corn, kernels removed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- fat pinch of salt
- 1 small red onion, small dice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Preparation
- Make the bbq tahini by whisking all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. This works best with an immersion blender. Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. While the quinoa cooks bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes or until bright green and tender. Drain and keep to the side.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, cumin and a fat pinch of salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the corn browns up a bit, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, green beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, and beans. Toss well. Add the cilantro and drizzle with the bbq tahini sauce to taste. Serve warm, at room temperature or even chilled.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.