Quinoa Black Bean Salad

This protein-packed quinoa black bean salad with a tangy lime dressing makes the perfect lunch and it's also great for BBQs and potlucks! It's a refreshing and nutritious dish that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized for hours.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 13

Servings servings

Calories 205kcal

Author Sina

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Salad:

1 cup quinoa
1 can black beans
1 1/2 cups corn
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup cilantro
1 red onion
2 green onions

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika powder
1 splash maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook your quinoa. I usually make mine in the Instant Pot and it turns out perfect and fluffy every time. I cook it with one cup of water for 1 minute on high pressure and let the pressure release naturally for 12 minutes.
Rinse and drain the black beans and the corn. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves and the bell pepper into medium-sized pieces. Finely chop the cilantro. Chop the red onion. Cut the green onion into rings.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until combined.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, the vegetables and beans, and the dressing. Store the salad in the fridge until you serve it.

Notes

The quinoa salad is also great with avocado. However, unfortunately the avocado will go bad pretty quickly. So add it just before serving the salad and make sure you don't have any leftovers.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad will last up to 3 days.
I usually use frozen or canned corn for my salad because it’s super quick. But it’s even better with fresh corn if it’s available!
I usually make my quinoa in the Instant Pot using the 1 minute high pressure method by Megan from Detoxinista.

Nutrition