Tahini Quinoa Bean Salad

Tahini, lemon juice and a little chipotle powder make a sour spicy seasoning for heart-healthy quinoa. Green onions, snow peas and bell peppers make a delightfully crunchy contrast to the cooked beans and grains in this satisfying winter salad.This recipe comes to us from Kristina of FormerChef.com.

Serves 10

For the salad:

• 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 cups red quinoa*, rinsed well and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups cooked beans of choice, cooled
• or
• 2 cups canned beans of choice, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup snow peas, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

For the tahini chili dressing:

• 1/4 cup tahini paste**
• 4 ounces olive oil
• 2 ounces lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• salt, to taste

**Quinoa is a heart-healthy grain as well as a complete protein. It can be found in the grain section of most grocery stores. Feel free to substitute brown rice if you can’t find quinoa.

**A sesame seed paste found in health food section or the health food or specialty section of most grocery stores.

To make the salad:

Pour 4 cups of vegetable stock in a large pot over medium high heat heat. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool.

Place the oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 4-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms have browned and all the moisture has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

Combine the quinoa, beans, mushrooms, green onion, celery, snow peas and bell peppers together in a large bowl.

To make the tahini chili dressing:

Whisk together the tahini paste, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with chipotle chili powder and salt to taste.

To complete the Tahini Quinoa Bean Salad:

Toss the salad so that all ingredients are evenly distributed. Season the servings with dressing to taste and enjoy.