Southwest Quinoa Salad with quinoa, black beans, charred corn, tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, and avocado, tossed in a bright cilantro lime vinaigrette.
author’s note
My Current Meal Prep Obsession!
It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of adding quinoa to a salad. Two of my favorites are Avocado Orange Quinoa Salad and Greek Quinoa Salad.
After a packed week with no real structured lunches, I wanted something I could make once and enjoy for days. I cooked a pot of quinoa, charred frozen corn in a dry skillet, and tossed in black beans, juicy tomatoes, crisp green pepper, and creamy avocado. The dressing came together in the blender with cilantro, fresh lime, a little jalapeño, rice wine vinegar, Dijon, and olive oil.
First bite and this romaine quinoa salad went straight into my weekly rotation. I keep the dressing in a jar and the salad base in a big bowl so I can build fresh bowls all week.
Southwest Quinoa Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or Tips |
|---|---|
| Quinoa | Rinse well to remove bitterness. Any color works. Cook ahead and cool. |
| Roasted corn | Use frozen straight from the freezer and roast in a dry skillet until charred. Canned works once drained and patted dry. |
| Black beans | Rinse and drain. Pinto beans work too. |
| Cherry tomatoes | Grape or diced Roma are fine. |
| Green pepper | Any bell pepper works. Add diced jalapeño for heat. |
| Red onion | Soak slices in cold water for 10 minutes if you want a milder bite. |
| Avocado | Add right before serving. Toss cubes with a bit of lime to slow browning. |
| Cilantro lime vinaigrette | Maple syrup or honey can replace sugar. |
How To Make Southwest Quinoa Salad
- Cook Quinoa: Boil quinoa, let it cool.
- Prepare Veggies: Chop lettuce, red onion, green pepper, and avocado.
- Combine: Mix quinoa, veggies, black beans, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, and optional queso cotija cheese.
- Dressing: Blend cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble and Serve: Dress the salad, mix well, and serve. Store components separately if not serving immediately.
Make It A Meal
- Wrap it up: Spoon into a warm tortilla with a little sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Add protein: Grilled or rotisserie chicken works great, or try some Cilantro lime shrimp.
- Make it a bowl: Pile on romaine, add crushed tortilla chips, extra avocado, and a drizzle of dressing.
Storage
- Leftovers: Only dress what you’ll eat immediately; store southwest quinoa salad, dressing, and avocado separately.
- Make Ahead: Prep ingredients early; refrigerate dressing in a jar. Warm and shake dressing if it solidifies.
More Quinoa Recipes:
Southwest Quinoa Salad
This Southwest Quinoa Salad is loaded with black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and creamy avocado, all tossed in a zesty cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa measure after quinoa has been cooked, about 1/2 cup raw
- 5 cups romaine lettuce loosely measured after being cut
- 1/2 cup diced red onion see note 1
- 1 small green bell pepper diced, about 3/4 cup
- 3/4 cup black beans drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup roasted corn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 small avocado diced, about 3/4 cup
- Cotija cheese optional
Dressing
- 1 cup cilantro remove stems to loosely measure
- 2 limes
- 1 jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa well. I recommend cooking quinoa in a chicken or vegetable broth for extra flavor. Once quinoa is cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
- Wash and chop the lettuce. I like to cut the lettuce into ribbons and halve the ribbons—thinner salad pieces allow for more surface area that the quinoa and dressing can adhere to. Use a salad spinner to ensure the lettuce is 100% dry before adding to the quinoa. Toss the cooled quinoa and washed/chopped lettuce together.
- Dice the red onion (see note 1), chop the green pepper, drain and rinse black beans, prepare the corn (see note 2), halve the cherry tomatoes and add all to the salad. Remove the pit and peel of the avocado, chop, and add to the salad.
- Zest and juice limes to get 1/2 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice. Combine lime zest and juice with all dressing ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper (or to taste). Pulse until ingredients are combined, then drizzle in olive oil; quickly pulse until emulsified. Don’t overmix/blend the olive oil or it can gain a metallic flavor. Taste and adjust any seasonings to personal preference.
- If eating the salad immediately, pour the dressing over, toss the salad, and top with cheese (if desired and to taste preference). Only add dressing to salad that will be enjoyed promptly.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: You can take away the “bite” of a red onion by soaking chopped red onion in cold water and soaking for 5–10 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly before adding to the salad.
Note 2: Thaw frozen corn and sauté in a skillet or grill fresh corn.
-
To grill fresh corn: Preheat grill to 400°F and clean grates. Remove husks and silk, rub each cob with 1 teaspoon oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill, close lid, and cook for about 3 minutes per side, rotating with tongs for about 12 minutes total. Once browned, remove from grill and cut kernels off when cool.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5825IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have never reviewed a recipe before but this was the most incredible salad ever……and that dressing>>>> Yummmmm. I may be having this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
What an honor! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this comment! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed! 🙂
Impressive recipe.
I love southwest flavours, this looks like the perfect salad for me!
You really know how to make a salad jump off the screen! Such gorgeous color! And I bet this tasted delish!! 🙂
Gorgeous salad, I love when healthful food winds up being tasty too. This salad is a winner! Pinned!
Chelsea, love the addition of the quinoa here! Pinned and what a gorgeous salad!!
This is my ideal dinner. Light but still full of flavor, and filling from the quinoa, beans and avocado!