Cilantro Lime Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

Sort dry beans and remove any pebbles or overly dried beans.

Cover black beans with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, to quick soak the beans, cover them with water and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and cover beans for an hour to soften

Drain soaking water and rinse beans.

In a large pot, cover the soaked beans with fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in a bay leaf, whole garlic cloves, and ½ an onion (not chopped) to flavor the beans. If desired, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans, partially covered, for 30-45 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises as they cook. The time will be longer if you're using older dried beans or live at higher altitude. Sample a few beans to check doneness before turning off the heat - they should be tender to the bite but not soft.

Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves and the half onion. Season the beans generously with salt to your liking.

In a pot, combine dry quinoa and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low to allow a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa.

In the meantime, prep and chop salad ingredients.

In the bottom of your salad bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, and honey.

In the same bowl overtop of the dressing, combine cooked quinoa, black beans, diced cabbage, diced bell pepper, corn, halved cherry tomatoes, minced jalapeño, and chopped cilantro.

Toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper and adjust dressing to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.