They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but when it comes to food I think CSA’s are the mother of invention. I created this green bean, corn, and tomato quinoa salad because I had no idea what to do with all of the green beans and tomatoes I’ve had in my CSA.
I used to love eating green beans raw, but I don’t love eating them like that quite as much as I used to. And as of last week I had exactly one recipe with green beans as the main ingredient, that didn’t make me gag. I was also sort of tired of making it.
So I turned to the internet and found the bones of this recipe. I just needed it to be more of a meal and less of a side dish. That’s the problem with so many vegetable recipes. They are treated as sides and not the main event.
This recipe is great as a stand-a-lone meal, but you could also add to it if you need more.
Green Beans, Corn, and Tomato Quinoa Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients~
1 cup quinoa plus enough water to cook it (about 2 cups)
3 cups corn (frozen or from the cob is your call)
2 cups green beans, chopped into inch-long pieces
1 large tomato or 15 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced and quartered
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
salt/pepper to taste
optional: herb of your choice (basil, cilantro, and mint are all great options that would offer a slightly different flavor to this delicious dish)
Directions~
Make your quinoa, cooking until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy (about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Combine the vinegar, oil, and lemon juice in a small measuring cup. Whisk well and set aside.
In the meantime, steam the corn (if frozen) and the green beans for about 2 minutes tops. The green beans should be tender but still crisp.
Now put it all together! Combine the quinoa with the green beans, corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Mix well with the vinegar/oil/lemon dressing. Add your herbs, if you are getting fancy.
Enjoy asap!
