Tortilla Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cooking Time: 10 minutes     Yields: 6 people

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Ingredients

Salad:

6 corn tortillas

Olive oil spray

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 ½ cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 can)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

1 medium red onion, chopped

1/4 cup red peppers

1/4 cup green peppers

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 jalapeño seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut tortillas in half and then into ¼ inch strips. Place on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Bake about 10 minutes, turning half way through.

4. In a large bowl combine lettuce, quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, peppers, corn and avocado.

5. Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a food processor or blender and processing until smooth.

6. Toss salad with desired amount of dressing and top with tortillas strips.

Notes: If making the salad ahead, wait to toss until right before serving. Also either wait to add the avocado or sprinkle the avocado with lime juice to prevent browning. In a pinch, instead of preparing the tortilla strips, I use gluten-free tortilla chips.