Possibly the Most Delicious Salad Recipe Ever

This past weekend I taught a cooking class called "Summer Salads". One of the recipes I used in my class is this incredibly flavorful quinoa salad. I've made this salad lots of times, and it really is the perfect dish for summer. It's great for parties and barbecues, as it keeps well and makes a great big bowl. It's also nice to have in the refrigerator so you don't have to worry about making lunch or cooking dinner later in the week when you're hot and tired. The other cool thing about this salad is that it uses a lot of fresh vegetables, and you can be pretty flexible with what you put it. I found the recipe on epicurious, and though I've kept the ingredients pretty similar, I've changed the preparation method for the quinoa to simplify the recipe- it's a lot faster and easier to prepare.  It does take a bit of time to chop everything up, but other than that it's an easy and satisfying main dish that does a great job of showcasing fresh, seasonal summer produce.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
adapted from Gourmet  | July 1994
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups cooked black or pinto beans (or a combination of both), rinsed if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced into small pieces
1 small red onion, finely chopped
a few green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 pint (or more)cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, cut into cubes
1/2 cup (or more)finely chopped cilantro
a few pickled jalapenos, sliced
For dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
generous squirt of sriracha hot sauce

Prepare quinoa:
Boil 2 3/4 cups water . Add quinoa and reduce heat to simmer. Cook quinoa 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove lid and remove from heat. You do not want to overcook the quinoa! It is much better to err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking.
While quinoa is cooking, toss beans with vinegar in a small bowl.
Make dressing:
In a large bowl whisk together lime juice, sriracha, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.
Assemble salad:
Add warm quinoa  to bowl with dressing and mix well. Stir in all vegetables and beans, taking care to add soft vegetables like avocado and tomatoes last and to stir them gently. Cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.