Whether you're a partygoer, a meal prepper, or a picnic fanatic, we've got a salad that can do it all! Fresh and crunchy, Southwestern style. Quinoa salad is loaded with corn, black beans, cilantro, tons of greens, and a vibrant lime vinaigrette. Very tasty, friends!
It stores well so it's perfect for barbecues, picnics or quick lunches throughout the week. simple ingredients and just 30 minutes Essential! Let us show you how it's done!
How to Make Black Bean Quinoa Salad
This simple black bean and quinoa salad starts with quinoa! Whether we use them to make breakfast cookies, fritters, stir-fries, or power balls, we often have nutrient-dense pseudo-grains (actually seeds) cooking up and sitting in our fridge.
You can use pre-made quinoa for this salad or make it fresh when you're ready to make the salad. Quinoa cooks on the stovetop in about 15 minutes and is super easy to make in your Instant Pot (a great option to beat the summer heat!).
Next, let's cut it. Fresh and crunchy vegetables Add (cherry tomatoes + green pepper + red onion) and add them. Corn that adds sweetness and Coriander for herbal touch. If you don't like cilantro, omit it or try fresh dill and/or parsley.
Then let's look at the other main components of this salad. black beans! They boost the fiber and protein content, making this salad a nutritional powerhouse.
The final ingredient is a lime vinaigrette made with lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup, and sea salt. Keep things very simple and 1 bowl, 30 minutes (Once the quinoa is made) Add the dressing ingredients directly to the salad and stir well.
Afterwards, you can enjoy it straight away or top it with avocado and pepita to make it more filling.
I hope you like this Quinoa Black Bean Salad! that:
fresh
crunchy
hubby
full of vegetables
Easy to prepare meals
& It is very delicious!
Rich in protein and fiber, this side is a great make-ahead dish for summer picnics and barbecues, weeknight lunches, or when it's too hot to cook!
More Grain and Bean Salads
Let me know if you try this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment, rate and tag a photo @minimalist baker On Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 8 (~1 cup amount)
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- 2 ½ cup Boiled and cooled quinoa (3/4 cup or 138 g of dried quinoa cooked will yield ~2 ½ cups or 460 g)
- 2 cup Cherry tomatoes, quartered (1 pint yields ~2 cups or 315 grams)
- One cup Finely chopped orange or red bell pepper (1 medium bell pepper ~ 1 cup or 115g)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (1/2 small onion is ~1/3 cup or 50g)
- One (15 ounce) can Black beans, drained and rinsed (or ~1 ½ cups homemade)
- three ear Fresh corn*, kernels removed (3 ears = ~1 ½ cups or 225 g corn kernels // or ~1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 4-5 table spoon lime juice (2-3 limes will yield ~4-5 Tbsp or 60-75 ml juice depending on how juicy they are)
- 2 table spoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt (Adjust to taste)
If you don't have cooked quinoa yet, prepare it at this time. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup (138 g) dried quinoa with 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water (this makes 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa; adjust amounts if changing the standard serving size). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and continue cooking until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy and puffy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir and set aside (covered). Quinoa will get softer as it sits!
In a large mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and cilantro. Combine and toss.
Add boiled and cooled quinoa (it’s okay if you don’t have it) completely Add lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt to the (cooled) mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust as needed. Add more salt for overall flavor, lime juice for brightness, olive oil for richness, maple syrup for sweetness, and cilantro for a herbal flavor.
Store at room temperature or refrigerated. Optionally, garnish individual servings with chopped avocado and pepitas. Leftover salad (except avocado/pepitas) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly.
*We tested this recipe with fresh, frozen, and canned corn. It tasted best fresh, and frozen was also good. Canned corn (drained and rinsed) is fine and works a bit, but it's not our preferred choice.
*Preparation time/total time assumes the quinoa is already prepared. It adds about 15 minutes to making the quinoa.
*Nutritional information is approximate, excluding optional ingredients.
clothing material: One (~1 cup amount) calorie: 202 carbohydrate: 33.8 g protein: 7.2 g province: 5.4 g Saturated Fat: 0.7 g Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4 g Monounsaturated fat: three g trans fat: 0 g cholesterol: 0 mg salt: 374 mg potassium: 466 mg fiber: 7.2 g sugar: 5.5 g Vitamin A: 162 IU Vitamin C: 30 mg calcium: 45 mg steel: 2 mg
