Recipe: Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad

You’re going to want to keep this salad firmly planted in your summer meal plan rotation and at the ready for all of your picnics and potlucks. It is what I consider a multi-purpose, do-it-all salad — one that everyone can eat. It gets its bulk from protein-rich pantry staples like quinoa and beans, and picks up freshness, crunch, and color from a medley of veggies before it’s tied together with a zippy chile-lime dressing. You can count on it to hold its own as the main course or a side that pairs with all your summer favorites.

There’s a special trick I always use when making quinoa that will be used for room-temperature or chilled salads. As soon as the grains are finished cooking, I spread them in a single layer on a large baking sheet, then pop it in the fridge to cool. Yes, it’s one more dish to add to the pile, but I’d only recommend it if it’s totally worth it. And in this case, it is worth it! This step helps the quinoa cool faster, but more importantly it allows each grain to keep its toothsome, chewy texture. In return, you get a crowd-pleasing salad with textured grains that have distinct pop and chewy bite.

Learn more: Cooking Grains for Your Lunch Salad? Don’t Forget This Final Step.

This summer go beyond the classics and wow the crowd at every potluck with an impressive party-worthy salad. This week we’re sharing five recipes to give you plenty of fresh salad inspiration. Easy enough to pull together any day of the week, these salads go big to serve the whole crowd, and each one has a fun twist to make it stand out among a sea of sides.