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Home » Salad » Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Salad.

Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Salad.

May 31, 2021 · Modified: May 17, 2023 by Kelly Roenicke · 15 Comments

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Southwestern black bean quinoa salad is a tasty dish to bring to a summer party. This easy salad is full of flavor from corn, cilantro, onions, and a zesty dressing. Make a big batch and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week!

quinoa salad with black beans and corn

Quinoa salads are a great option for easy, make-ahead gluten free lunches, which is why we enjoy them fairly often around here. I love to make a big batch of salad and have it ready to go during busy weeks.

This Southwestern quinoa salad is so simple to prepare, but it packs a lot of flavor! The secret is the zesty dressing with fresh citrus and lots of fresh cilantro leaves.

With lots of protein from black beans and quinoa, this is a salad that’s sure to keep you full. This quinoa salad is the perfect addition to your next summer gathering. Serve it as a vegan main dish, or on the side of your favorite grilled chicken or these ground turkey sloppy joes.

Jump to:
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Substitutions
  • Make Ahead Instructions
  • More Salad Recipes
  • Recipe
ingredients for southwestern quinoa salad in a bowl

Ingredient Notes

  • Quinoa – You can use either red or white quinoa! Red quinoa has a little bit of a stronger flavor and a firmer texture than white quinoa. There are other varieties of this ancient grain, like black or even purple, but those aren’t as common or easily found in the store. Read more about the types of quinoa here.
  • Cilantro – I know some people do not like cilantro. If that’s you, you can substitute parsley instead, but I love the fresh flavor that cilantro brings to this salad.
  • Black Beans – Use canned black beans, and be sure to rinse them off.
  • Corn – Either frozen or canned corn kernels will work in this recipe.
quinoa salad ingredients in bowl with dressing

Substitutions

You can use:

  • chickpeas or pinto beans instead of black beans
  • millet, white rice, or brown rice instead of quinoa
  • red quinoa instead of white quinoa
  • parsley instead of cilantro
  • red onion instead of green onions
  • vinegar instead of citrus juice

Make Ahead Instructions

You can make this ahead of time if you need to – just make the dressing and keep it separate, then add it to the salad right before serving.

quinoa salad with beans and corn in a white bowl

More Salad Recipes

  • Garlic dill green bean salad
  • Curried broccoli quinoa salad
  • Apple brussels sprouts slaw
  • Simple zucchini noodle salad

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Recipe

southwestern quinoa salad

Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Salad.

Kelly Roenicke
This tasty black bean quinoa salad is a quick and easy summer salad with flavors of the Southwest!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine Dairy Free, gluten free, Mexican, vegan.
Servings 6
Calories 289 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions
  • 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels frozen or canned
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup green onions chopped, or sweet onion
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice or lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • â…“ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
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Instructions
 

  • Prepare quinoa according to package directions, then let cool.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices.
  • Add the cooled quinoa, onions, black beans, corn, and cilantro. Mix together to combine.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate to until ready to serve.

Notes

You can use red or white quinoa in this recipe.
If you don’t have quinoa on hand, you can use rice.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
You can make this salad the night before serving if you wish. Just make the dressing separately and add to the salad right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 446mgPotassium: 503mgFiber: 9gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 429IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 3mg
Keyword barbecue side dishes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @prettybeeblog on instagram!

This post was originally published in June 2014. It has been updated.

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Filed Under: Dairy Free, food, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Vegan Tagged With: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Gluten Free, Mustard Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Sugar Free, top 8 allergy free recipe, Tree Nut Free

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Darryl

    May 31, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    5 stars
    We made this recently and it was great!

    Reply
  2. Allergy Free Alaska

    June 12, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    Oh my goodness. I can completely see myself putting parchment under a broiler, too. I’m sorry that happened, but rest assured – you’re in good company! ;) Gorgeous salad!
    Megan

    Reply
  3. riitta

    June 09, 2014 at 2:37 am

    Thank goodness nothing worse happened, although any fire in any part of the house is scary, especially with little ones inside.

    Love your salad, and I absolutely adore the serving bowl, so pretty!

    Reply
  4. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen

    June 07, 2014 at 8:47 am

    That was scary, Kelly. I am glad all is fine now. I love your salad and black beans always bring me happy memories from my childhood in Brazil. Have a wonderful weekend ;-)

    Reply
    • Kelly

      June 08, 2014 at 10:18 pm

      Thank you so much, Olivia!

      Reply
  5. Allison

    June 06, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    This salad look like perfection! I also really love that bowl.

    Glad everyone is okay and your kitchen is flame-free! I once started a small fire cooking beans on the stovetop. It was a starchy mess afterwards!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      June 08, 2014 at 10:17 pm

      Thank you, Allison! Yes, burnt beans are hard to clean up, aren’t they?

      Reply
  6. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

    June 06, 2014 at 11:36 am

    I have totally done that before! Luckily it’s never started a fire, but has left me with some way burnt food. Bet you were laughing at yourself all day.

    These bean salad sounds delicious! Love all those flavors!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      June 08, 2014 at 10:16 pm

      Yes, it was kind of funny, I just don’t know how I could have done that!

      Reply
  7. Lisa Howard

    June 06, 2014 at 10:29 am

    Okay…so I must admit to something. I checked my personal email at work…when I’m supposed to be plowing through this daunting pile of paperwork. I saw the recipe, got excited, pinned, commented and THEN I read your post. Yeah, I know. Backwards. If I tell you I’m from the south will that buy me a pass? We do everything backward here. lol.

    Oh. My. Word. An oven fire! I’m sure that was scary. My son and his wife experienced a bad fire at the day spa she owns back in February. The source was an overloaded clothes dryer. Ever since, I have a horrible fear of flames. I’m so glad you were able to keep it contained. Isn’t it crazy how quickly the simplest of things can get out of control?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      June 08, 2014 at 10:14 pm

      It’s ok! I’ve done the same thing, saw the food, then missed the story! :) That is so scary about the clothes dryer! Yikes.

      Reply
  8. Lisa Howard

    June 06, 2014 at 10:23 am

    Consider this one pinned! I will be making it this weekend! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 50 Salad Recipes to Kick Start The New Year - Primavera Kitchen says:
    January 5, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    […] Southwestern Quinoa Black Bean Salad from The Pretty Bee. […]

    Reply
  2. Creamy Breakfast Quinoa with Peaches and Berries. - The Pretty Bee says:
    August 23, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    […] and makes a tasty hot cereal, but I just hadn’t tried it yet. I love quinoa in salads, like this one and this one, but I finally took the plunge and made a sweet version.  I loved it! Topped with […]

    Reply
  3. Individual Microwave Cherry Crisp. - The Pretty Bee says:
    July 16, 2014 at 8:44 am

    […] gets hot! I didn’t want cherries exploding, or oats catching on fire. You know how I love to set things on fire in my appliances. :( Your microwave may be different, but I would still recommend starting on with […]

    Reply

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