Description
This Southwest Quinoa Salad is a vibrant, flavor-packed dish loaded with fluffy quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime, and a zesty Southwest dressing. It’s fresh, colorful, and perfect as a side dish, meal prep lunch, or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
- 1 ½ cups water or broth
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded & minced (optional for heat)
For the Southwest Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lime juice (fresh)
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Cook the Quinoa
- Rinse quinoa under cold water.
- Add quinoa + water (or broth) to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork and let cool completely.
2. Prepare the Dressing
- In a bowl or jar, whisk olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
- Add dressing and toss to combine.
- Gently fold in avocado right before serving.
4. Serve
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Garnish with extra cilantro, lime wedges, or sliced jalapeños.
Notes
- Add grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein.
- Swap black beans for pinto or kidney beans.
- Add cotija or feta cheese for a creamy touch.
- Prep Time: PT15M
- Cook Time: PT15M
- Category: Salad
- Method: American
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280 Kcal
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 330mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg