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

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5 from 4 votes

Southwest Quinoa Salad

By Chelsea Lords

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

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 -6 as a side

Ingredients  

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• ▢ 1 and 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
• ▢ 1 small green pepper diced (~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 (~3/4 cup)
• ▢ Queso cotija cheese blend optional

Dressing

• ▢ 1 cup cilantro (remove stems to loosely measure)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
• ▢ 1 jalapeno seeds and ribs removed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white sugar
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

• QUINOA: I recommend cooking the quinoa in a chicken or vegetable broth for extra flavor (don't forget to rinse it really well before cooking). Once the quinoa is cooked, transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
• LETTUCE: 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.
• VEGGIES: 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 it to the salad.
• DRESSING: Combine all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper). Pulse until ingredients are combined and then drizzle in olive oil last; quickly pulse until emulsified. Don't overmix/pulse/blend the olive oil or it can create a metallic flavor. Taste and adjust any seasonings to personal preference.
• ENJOY: If eating the salad immediately, pour the dressing over, toss the salad, and top with cheese (if desired and to taste preference).
• STORAGE: If you aren't eating the salad immediately or don't plan on it being finished after one sitting, do not dress the entire salad. Only add dressing, avocado, and cheese to portions of the salad that will be finished promptly after dressing. Store leftovers salad, avocado, and dressing separately; otherwise salad becomes soggy.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If desired, you can take away the "bite" of the red onion by soaking the 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 saute in a skillet or grill fresh corn. To grill fresh corn: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, around 400 degrees F. Once hot, clean the grill grates. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Pour about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil on each corn cob and rub that oil into all the sides. Very lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the corn. Place corn directly on grill grates and close the grill lid. Cook (temps remaining at 400 degrees F) for about 3 minutes per side, undisturbed. Using tongs, rotate and continue cooking, for about 12 minutes total. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate. Cut kernels off the cob once cool!

Nutrition

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.

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