This quinoa salad combines vegetables, tender black beans, protein-rich quinoa, and tangy cilantro lime dressing into a colorful, and nutritious recipe.
You might also like our black bean salad, avocado spread, and black bean burger.
Introduction
Cooked quinoa is excellent for salads because it’s rich in protein and has a neutral flavor that goes well with most vegetables.
Louise and I love satiating quinoa salads, so we combine it with legumes to make quinoa chickpea salad or quinoa lentil salad.
But today, we share with you our favorite quinoa salad with black beans and a fresh cilantro lime dressing.
It’s colorful and crunchy, quick and easy to assemble, and takes inspiration from beloved Southern flavors.
We love serving it with a dollop of avocado spread or guacamole. You can also use this quinoa salad for stuffing a microwaved sweet potato or a corn tortilla 😋.
Ingredients
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Quinoa: You can use any color quinoa. We use white quinoa here, but red or black quinoa works equally well.
- Black beans: You can use canned black beans or cook dried black beans at home. You can substitute chickpeas, kidney beans, or lentils for black beans.
- Cucumber: We use English cucumbers, but American and Persian cucumbers are also excellent. You can substitute radishes or thinly sliced zucchini for cucumber.
- Tomatoes: Substitute other small tomatoes for cherry tomatoes, or use diced vine or Roma tomatoes. Substitute green or red bell pepper for tomatoes.
- Corn: You have three options for corn: canned corn kernels, frozen corn, or boiling corn on the cob for 5 to 10 minutes and slicing the kernels yourself. Substitute yellow bell pepper or diced mango for corn.
- Red onion: Substitute shallot, spring onions, or white onion for red onion.
- Avocado: Add avocado last, shortly before serving the salad. Substitute crumbled feta cheese for avocado.
- Jalapeños are optional. You can add thinly sliced raw jalapeños or pickled ones. We recommend them if you like a bit of heat. Substitute poblano pepper for less heat or serrano pepper for more heat.
- Cilantro or fresh coriander: is the cherry on top in this easy quinoa salad, and it has a strong flavor affinity with all the other ingredients. If you don’t like cilantro’s taste, you can omit it or replace it with fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives, or a teaspoon of dried oregano.
Dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil: substitute avocado oil.
- Maple syrup: substitute honey.
- Lime juice: substitute lemon juice.
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Sea salt or kosher salt.
How to make quinoa salad
1. Boil the quinoa
Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sift under running water.
Add the quinoa to a medium-sized pot with plenty of boiling water (at least 3 cups for 3/4 cup of quinoa) and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
Tip: Rinsing the quinoa removes saponins, the bitter quinoa coating that can make your quinoa bitter.
Taste to check for doneness, then drain it in a fine-mesh sift.
Put the sift over the pot to allow the quinoa to steam off and drain while you chop the vegetables.
Tip: The easiest and best way of cooking quinoa is to boil it like pasta in plenty of water, then drain it in a fine-mesh sift when cooked.
This method is the most consistent and yields the best, fluffiest quinoa. Quinoa-to-water ratios are inaccurate and can change depending on your brand of quinoa, often resulting in overcooked and mushy quinoa.
2. Mix the salad
To a large mixing bowl, add drained and rinsed black beans, chopped cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced jalapeños, and cooked quinoa.
You can optionally add diced avocado or crumbled feta, but only if you serve the salad shortly after making it.
Whisk extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, maple syrup, grated ginger, garlic, and salt in a separate bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad, then toss until well combined. Garnish with more cilantro or thinly sliced scallions, and enjoy.
Storage
Make ahead: If you make quinoa salad for meal prep, don’t add avocado or feta until you are ready to serve the salad.
Refrigerator: Keep the salad in an airtight container for three days.
Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
More salad recipes
SALAD AS A MEAL: Chickpea pasta salad, creamy pasta salad, white bean salad, Mediterranean salad, Israeli couscous salad, lentil salad, and Greek chickpea salad.
SALAD AS A SIDE: Coleslaw, tabouli, Asian cucumber salad, creamy cucumber salad, broccoli salad, carrot salad, green bean salad.
Check out our compilation of 45 best salad recipes for even more salad ideas.
If you tried this Quinoa Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa or about 2¼ cups cooked quinoa
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans 1½ cups / 240 grams cooked black beans, or ½ cup / 100 grams dried black beans
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes quartered or halved
- 1½ cups cucumber diced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ red onion chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 ripe avocado diced or sliced
- 1 jalapeño or more to taste, thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 clove grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Instructions
- COOK THE QUINOA: Rinse ¾ cup uncooked quinoa and add it to a pot with plenty of boiling water – at least 3 cups.Cook for 10 to 12 minutes then drain it in a fine-mesh sift.Put the sift over the pot to allow the quinoa to steam off and finish draining.
- CHOP THE VEGGIES: To a large mixing bowl, add 1 can (15 ounces) black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 cups cherry tomatoes (quartered), 1½ cups cucumber (diced), 1 cup corn kernels, ½ red onion (chopped), ½ cup cilantro (chopped), 1 ripe avocado (diced), 1 jalapeño (thinly sliced), and the cooked quinoa.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: Whisk 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 clove grated garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.MIX THE SALAD: Pour dressing over the salad and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise
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Love, love this salad! I save leftover Quinoa, from meals, in the freezer until I have enough for a salad. Or if I’m craving it 😊 I make the Quinoa.
Amazing, Martha!! Oh, Im so happy that you like it – thanks so much for the freezer tip, that’s great! 🥳
Thanks so much for coming back here to leave a review 🥰. Kindest,
Louise
Tried this out tonight and it was very tasty. I used feta cheese instead of the avocados, honey instead of maple syrup and it was super flavorful.
Made this for lunch and it was absolutely delicious!
I did substitute Basil for Cilantro and it was just as delicious.
Thanks for sharing your recipe 😊
These turned out amazing…. The taste was perfectly sweet, salty, tangy from lemon. Will be on repeat for my dinner.
Amazing, Ankita – I’m very happy that you enjoyed the salad, YAY 🎉
Thanks for taking the time to comment here 🥰
Nice