Thursday, August 15, 2013

creamy avocado and corn quinoa salad


As promised... more corn!

With the official start of school next week, I'm going back to packing my lunch every day. While this can sometimes get a little monotonous, it's salads like this one that get my through the whole week without boring me one bit.

In fact, I've been making this salad all summer long and haven't tired of it yet. The creaminess comes from a dressing of avocado and lime, and the raw corn and green onions give it a great crunch. With a little cheese and quinoa to bulk it up, this is a pretty perfect meal all around.

This is a fantastic meal on its own, and we've also enjoyed it as a side for dinner with tequila-lime chicken - also great!

Creamy Avocado and Corn Quinoa Salad (adapted from What's Gaby Cooking)
makes 4-6 servings

you'll need:
1 cup cooked red quinoa
4 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups if you're using frozen)
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 avocado
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, corn, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, half of the lime juice, feta, chili powder, and pepper jack.

Remove the avocado from the skin and discard the seed. Place the flesh of the avocado in a blender with the remaining lime juice. Blend until smooth. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out to the consistency of mayonnaise.

Pour the avocado dressing into the bowl and toss until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. If desired, garnish with a bit more feta and cilantro. Enjoy!

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26 comments:

  1. I love creamy avocado salads.. this looks wonderful!

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  2. Love all those flavors and alongside your chicken? I bet crazy good. It's a beauty!

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    1. Thanks, lady! And yes, the chicken was a perfect pairing!

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  3. This sounds soooooo good! Perfect for farm fresh corn this time of year! YUM!

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  4. Yay! Keep the corn coming! I've also been eating avocados like it's my job lately so I'm loving this recipe!

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  5. I adore recipes where you literally just toss everything together. It makes for a quick an easy meal!

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  6. Love this, Marie. I adore how avocado makes everything creamy and rich while being so healthy for you. Pairing it with tequila-lime chicken is perfect! Have a great new school year - the summer went by too fast! School starts after Labor Day here so we're still relaxing... : )

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    1. Thanks so much, Monica! I can't believe it's already around the corner for me... the kids come back next Wednesday! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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  7. Mmmm, I'm just now discovering my love of avocado. Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Avocados are the best! Glad you're loving them!

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  8. Sounds delicious Marie! I love how creamy the avocado made this dish. Delicious!

    Anne ~ Uni Homemaker

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  9. I think I could eat this everyday and never grow tired of it.

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    Replies
    1. That's not too far off from what I did all summer... and not sick of it yet!

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  10. Yum!! Loving the red quinoa. I had a red quinoa salad with some mahi a few weeks ago dining out and I've been wanting to make something with it ever since! This looks like just the thing, Marie!

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  11. Yum! I'm a big fan of quinoa salads AND Gaby's blog, so this post has the best of both worlds! Love it. This is like all of the best parts of esquites with added quinoa for nutrition and bulk! x

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  12. Yes, let's discuss packing lunches. Do you have any brilliant ideas? I mean, obviously this one, but any other ideas? I'm bad about getting stuck in sandwich ruts and those aren't my favorite.

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    1. It's just hard coming up with something I can make a lot of in advance and then that is easy to transport to work every day. I end up taking leftovers a lot, haha!

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