
Salads
Warm Quinoa Salad with Grilled Avocado, Corn, Cotijo Cheese and Chili con Limon Butter
This easy grilled salad melds Latin flavors for a tempting side or hearty entree.

Level
Easy
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 large semi-ripe avocados, cut in half and pits removed
- 2 ears corn, husks and silk removed
- 8 ounces Cotijo cheese (queso fresco to substitute)
- fresh cilantro, approximately ¼ cup of picked leaves and 2-4 Tablespoons of minced stems
- 1 green onion, diced
Chile con Limon Butter
- 4 oz Challenge Butter, at room temperature
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons powdered chile de árbol
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon powdered cumin
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan
Salad
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1Cook quinoa according to package instructions and keep in a warm place or low oven. Meanwhile, prepare a charcoal grill or gas grill.
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2Place the avocado halves, corn and cheese over the hottest part of the grill. Allow everything to char evenly, rotating the avocado and corn to completely mark the surface and flipping the cheese when browned on each side. Remove from the grill.
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3Cut the corn off of the cob, slice the avocado flesh out of the skin, and crumble the cooled cheese. Reserve half the cheese and combine the rest in a serving bowl with quinoa and cilantro stems.
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4Add 3/4 of the Chile con Limon butter to the quinoa mixture, stirring to incorporate.
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5Warm the remaining Chile con Limon butter in a sauté pan until brown and fragrant; add the green onion and lightly saute. Add juice from the last lime and spoon over quinoa, mixing to incorporate.
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6Garnish with the remaining cheese and cilantro leaves and serve.
Chile con Limon Butter
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1In a small bowl, combine butter, zest from two limes, and juice from one lime.
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2Add all seasonings and mix thoroughly, making sure to completely incorporate all of the seasonings into the butter.