Tropical Quinoa Pineapple Salad

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

02 - 2 cups water

→ Fruits and Vegetables

03 - 1.5 cups fresh pineapple, diced

04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

06 - 0.5 small red onion, finely chopped

07 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

08 - 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

09 - 1 avocado, diced

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

12 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin

14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt

15 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool to room temperature.

02 - In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, pineapple, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, black beans, and cilantro.

03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, cumin, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.

04 - Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.

05 - Just before serving, fold in the diced avocado to prevent browning and maintain texture.

06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It's naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like you're missing anything.
You can prep most of it in advance and just add the avocado right before eating.
The lime-cumin dressing transforms simple ingredients into something that tastes restaurant-quality.

02 -

If you add the avocado too early, it will brown before you even serve it, turning what should be a beautiful dish into something that looks aged.
The dressing tastes better when you use fresh lime juice instead of the bottled kind—it makes a noticeable difference in how bright the whole salad tastes.

03 -