Southwest Quinoa Salad - Easy Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad is simple and delicious! This easy quinoa black bean salad recipe is made with tomatoes, corn, bell peppers and other flavorful ingredients, making this side dish light and healthy.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Quinoa may have started out as a food trend, but as far as I'm concerned, it's here to stay! I absolutely love quinoa, both for its nutty flavor and its power-packed punch of fiber, protein, and essential amino acids.

You can prepare the superfood in a variety of ways, but I most enjoy it for lunch or a side dish as a quinoa salad, mixed with black beans and a variety of veggies.

I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but this zesty quinoa black bean salad satisfies as much as an entree of protein, while still being light and refreshing.

Southwest quinoa salad, or Mexican quinoa salad as it's sometimes called, may be served warm or cold depending on your preference, but I enjoy this particular quinoa salad cold.

This quinoa black bean salad recipe is also excellent for potlucks or meal prep— simply portion the southwest quinoa salad into food storage containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad Recipe

Southwest Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

• 3 cups quinoa, cooked
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
• ½ teaspoon salt (can add more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

How to Make Quinoa Salad

1. Simply combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to incorporate.

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Southwest Quinoa Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

 

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is simple and delicious! It's an easy quinoa salad recipe made with black beans, bell peppers, corn and other flavorful ingredients that make this salad or side dish light and healthy.

Servings: 6

Author: Stefanie Fauquet

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 can corn drained
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed well
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice can substitute lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt can add more to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Simply combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to incorporate.

Is Quinoa Salad Healthy?

Yes! Quinoa salads, like the recipe here for southwest quinoa salad, are very healthy. Quinoa is a superfood and has fiber, protein and amino acids. It's an ideal side dish as the base flavor is nutty, but neutral and can be seasoned to go with nearly every cuisine.

What to Serve with Southwest Quinoa Salad

I like to serve this southwest quinoa salad as a side dish will grilled chicken, shrimp or steak, Add a side of salsa or chimichurri and you have an entire meal that's healthy and delicious!

If you want to keep this recipe vegetarian, add additional black beans or tofu to make a meal. This quinoa salad can also be added to a wrap with greens and slices of avocado.

Easy Salad Recipes You Might Like:

• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Healthy Tuna Salad
• Artichoke Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Mexican Buddha Bowl
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Jamaican Pasta Salad
• BLT Pasta Salad

More Healthy Recipes:

• Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Pork Stuffed Tomatoes
• Italian Baked Chicken
• Caprese Stuffed Chicken