Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad (aka Esquites with Quinoa)
If you've ever had Esquites or Elote and you're a fan... imagine it with quinoa and then prepare to make this your new fav lunch. It's true perfection.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup red or white quinoa
- 3 cups corn about 4 ears, cut from the cob
- ½ jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 handful cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons cotija or feta, crumbled
- chili powder to taste
- ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 avocado
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
- Once cooked, add the quinoa and raw corn to a large mixing bowl with the chopped jalapeño green onions, cilantro, half of the lime juice, cotija cheese and a dash of chili powder. Toss to combine.
- Remove the avocado from the skin and discard the seed. Place the flesh of the avocado in a blender or food processor with the remaining lime juice and blend until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed to make the mixture smooth, it should be a similar consistency to a mayonnaise.
- Remove the avocado mixture from the blender, toss it with the corn and quinoa mixture and top with the shredded jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve.
Notes
You can grill your corn, but I'm a huge fan of raw corn when it's perfectly in season!
Nutrition
Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 682IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 3mg