Quinoa Black Bean Salad (Printable)

Protein-rich quinoa combined with black beans, fresh vegetables, and zesty lime dressing for a fresh meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed

→ Legumes

02 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small cucumber, diced
06 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
07 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
08 - 1 avocado, diced

→ Dressing

09 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - Juice of 2 limes
11 - 1 clove garlic, minced
12 - 1 tsp ground cumin
13 - ½ tsp chili powder
14 - ½ tsp sea salt
15 - ¼ tsp black pepper

# Method:

01 - Combine quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, black beans, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and cilantro.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine evenly.
05 - Fold in the diced avocado just before serving to maintain freshness.
06 - Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It holds up beautifully in the fridge for days, so you can make it once and eat well all week without any sogginess or sad wilted greens.
  • Every bite has texture and color, crunchy peppers, creamy beans, juicy tomatoes, and it never gets boring.
  • The dressing is so good you'll want to drizzle it on everything else in your kitchen.
  • It comes together in less than half an hour, and most of that time is just waiting for the quinoa to cook while you chop vegetables.
02 -
  • Let the quinoa cool completely before mixing it with the vegetables or the heat will turn everything soggy and sad.
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa, that natural coating called saponin can make it taste unpleasantly bitter.
  • If you add the avocado too early, it will oxidize and turn brown within a few hours, so always add it last.
03 -
  • Toast the cumin and chili powder in a dry pan for thirty seconds before adding them to the dressing, it unlocks a deeper, smokier flavor.
  • If you want the salad to feel more indulgent, drizzle a little extra olive oil over each serving right before you eat it.
  • Make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in a jar in the fridge, it's perfect on roasted vegetables, tacos, or grain bowls all week long.
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