Southwest Quinoa Salad

By Maria Lichty

Published on June 14, 2023

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I love making quinoa salads because they are hearty, healthy, great for meal prep, and great for sharing at potlucks, parties, and picnics! A few favorites include my Easy Quinoa Salad, Summer Quinoa Salad, and Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad.

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is also a favorite. The flavors are SO good and the cilantro lime vinaigrette is the BEST!

I especially love this salad during the summer months when sweet corn and tomatoes are in season. It is the perfect summer salad and always gets rave reviews from friends and family.

The salad is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and SO delicious. The flavors will WOW you and everyone who tastes it.

Ingredients

• Quinoa– quinoa is easy easy to cook and is a great base for a healthy and hearty salad. It also is a great source of protein and gluten-free.
• Black beans– I use canned black beans, rinse and drain before using.
• Red bell pepper– yellow or orange are fine too.
• Tomatoes– I prefer grape tomatoes, but cherry or regular tomatoes will work too.
• Corn– fresh sweet corn is the best. You can use raw sweet corn, right off the cob, or char it on the grill or using a gas stove. If you don’t have fresh corn, frozen will work.
• Avocado-use a large, ripe avocado!
• Red onion– for a pop of color and flavor.
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette– this dressing is SO good and simple to make too! It gives the salad SO much flavor!

How to Make Southwest Quinoa Salad

• Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. 

• Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

• Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

• In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and red onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drizzle with cilantro lime vinaigrette and stir until well combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Variations

• Use pinto beans or chickpeas instead of black beans.
• Add cooked shredded chicken or grilled chicken.
• Instead of red onion, use green onion.
• Add minced jalapeño for a little kick!
• For a little sweetness, stir in chopped mango.
• Top the salad with crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy as a dip!
• Serve along side grilled chicken, fish, or steak.
• This is a great side dish for any Mexican dish: enchiladas, burritos, tacos, taquitos, fajitas, and more!
• Use this salad as a taco filling, burrito filling, or quesadilla filling!
• Garnish with pickled red onions.

How to Store

This salad is perfect for meal prep because it holds up nicely. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

You can also keep the ingredients separate in the fridge and assemble when ready to enjoy. Cooked quinoa will keep in the fridge for up to one week. The dressing will also keep in a jar in the fridge for up to one week.

More Quinoa Salad Recipes

• Easy Quinoa Salad
• Summer Quinoa Salad
• Asian Quinoa Salad
• Charred Corn & Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Cucumber Quinoa Salad

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Salads

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salad made with black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, onion, and a flavorful cilantro lime vinaigrette. This is the perfect salad for potlucks, parties, or meal prep!

4.43 from 14 votes

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 8

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh corn, raw or charred
• 1 large avocado, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Instructions

 

• Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and red onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drizzle with cilantro lime vinaigrette and stir until well combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Sodium: 215mg, Potassium: 544mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 697IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 2mg

Keywords black bean, quinoa

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