Southwest Quinoa Salad

Delicious and healthy Southwest Quinoa Salad boasts a flavorful cilantro-lime vinaigrette, black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes, red onion, pepper and avocado.

This nutrition-packed salad is quite filling on its own, but if you’d like to pair it with some meat, try this grilled chicken marinade or grilled steak marinade.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

It’s no secret we’re huge fans of adding quinoa to a salad (two of our favorites: this avocado orange quinoa salad or this greek quinoa salad).

Quinoa is packed with protein, which helps make a salad more filling and satisfying. And in Southwest Quinoa Salad, we’re also adding black beans which further improves the satiability. (Black beans are full of protein and fiber as well).

While there are lots of delicious ingredients in this salad, the real show stopper is the dressing! The lime cilantro vinaigrette hits all the right notes — sweet, savory, and a hint of spice. 

Ingredients

• Quinoa: Acts as the main ingredient, providing a protein-rich base with a nutty flavor to the southwest quinoa salad.
• Greens and Veggies: Romaine lettuce adds crunch; red onion and green pepper introduce sharp and sweet flavors; black beans and roasted corn bring protein and a smoky sweetness; cherry tomatoes and avocado offer juicy and creamy textures, respectively.
• Optional Cheese: Queso cotija adds a salty, crumbly element.
• Dressing: Features a blend of cilantro, lime juice and zest, jalapeno, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, and seasoning, creating a tangy, herby, and slightly sweet flavor profile.

How To Make Southwest Quinoa Salad

1. Cook Quinoa: Boil quinoa, let it cool.
2. Prepare Veggies: Chop lettuce, red onion, green pepper, and avocado.
3. Combine: Mix quinoa, veggies, black beans, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, and optional queso cotija cheese.
4. Dressing: Blend cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.
5. Assemble and Serve: Dress the salad, mix well, and serve. Store components separately if not serving immediately.

More Quinoa Recipes

• Quinoa Enchilada Bake
• Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Honey Lime Chicken
• Quinoa Black Bean Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 4 votes

Southwest Quinoa Salad

By Chelsea Lords

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.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 as a side

Equipment

• Blender or food processor

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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 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
• ▢ Queso cotija cheese blend 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 wine 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.

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.

Storage: Only add dressing, avocado, and cheese to portions of salad that will be finished promptly after dressing. Store leftover salad, avocado, and dressing separately; otherwise salad becomes soggy.

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.

Like this? Leave a comment below!