Quinoa Black Bean Salad

I came up with this recipe last summer when I was bored with plain quinoa and threw a few more things in on a whim. I was super excited with how it turned out! My husband and some of his family that were visited enjoyed it as well. My oldest daughter is not a fan of quinoa, but if I remember correctly, even she ate it. (She does love beans.) Unlike most grains, quinoa is a complete protein, so while this dish is light enough to be considered a salad, it is hardy enough to fill you up pretty well, too. (I've eaten the leftovers for breakfast a few times!)

NOTE: If you've seen / copied this recipe before, I changed it slightly to add more beans. Pretty sure this is how I made it originally... I just forgot how many cans of beans I used when I copied down the recipe.

QUINOA BLACK BEAN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 medium tomatoes
1/3 - 1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. lemon juice

Directions:
1) Rinse quinoa. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa, broth, minced onion, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer about 15 min. or until broth is absorbed.
2) Meanwhile, dice tomatoes and chop parsley. Place these in a medium bowl and add black beans.
3) When quinoa is finished, let cool a bit before adding to the bowl. Drizzle oil and lemon juice over the salad and mix. Serve warm or refrigerate for an hour or two to serve cold.