Cilantro and Cucumber Quinoa Salad

Cilantro.  You either love it or you hate it.  There have been articles written about the polarizing nature of this herb.  Some sources say Julia Child hated it.  There have been NPR stories about the cilantro division.  I bet Match.com even asks members to choose their allegiance.  If not, it surely should.  Imagine being in a relationship where each person falls on opposite sides of the camp.  That’d be worse than a vegetarian marrying an omnivore.  Lucky for my Omnivore and I, we both fall into the same camp when it comes to cilantro:

Cilantro love. Sometimes nothing tastes fresher, crisper, and more lovely than a dish garnished with chopped cilantro.  This herb, combined with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, transforms Mexican food from Taco Hell to Taco Heaven.

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Cilantro and Black Bean Salad
1 cup black beans
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water
1 small cucumber, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
dash hot sauce (optional)

Bring 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Turn heat to low and simmer 12 minutes (covered).  Remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cucumber, onion, black beans, and garlic clove.  In a small dish, whisk cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic with lemon juice.  Pour over vegetables.  Fold in quinoa and stir in cilantro.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.  Delicious topped with diced avocado!