Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Salad

This Black Bean Salad with quinoa, corn and avocado is quick, easy to assemble, and full of fresh Southwest flavors- perfect for casual summer gatherings, potlucks, and BBQs. Vegan and Gluten-Free! Video. 

Whatever breaks open our heart, mind or body can be the very invitation we need in order to look more deeply and be surrendered more thoroughly to the process that transforms our illusions. Love can use anything, including suffering, in the service of awakening. ~Dorothy Hunt

With soaring temperatures here in the Northwest, we’ve been turning to salads for dinner.

This refreshing Southwest-inspired Blackbean Quinoa Salad fits the bill and requires very little cooking. It keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge and is a nice thing to have on hand when it feels just too hot to cook.

Southwest Black bean Quinoa Salad | Video

What you’ll need for Black Bean Quinoa Salad:

1. quinoa
2. black beans
3. red onions
4. scallions
5. tomato (or bell pepper)
6. corn ( fresh or frozen, or sub zucchini)
7. avocado
8. cilantro
9. lime
10. olive oil
11. salt and seasonings

Step 1: Cook the quinoa

Step 2: Char the corn. You can use fresh corn cut right off the cob or frozen corn. Char in a dry skillet.

Step 3: Chop the veggies and herbs.

Feel free to use vine-ripened tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Use both scallions and red onion.

Step 4: Rinse and drain the black beans. You can also use dry black beans, cooked ahead and cooled.

Step 5: Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl.

Step 6: Add lime, zest,  olive oil, spices and salt.

Chipotle powder and smoked paprika give the salad great flavor.

Taste and adjust seasonings, remembering that the beans and quinoa will soak up some of that salt and lime.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Then add the avocado!

Step 7: When ready to serve, fold in the avocado.  You’ll end up with about 6 1/2- 7 cups of salad.

Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro. Serve the Southwest Blackbean Quinoa Salad on its own or over a bed of dressed greens.

This hearty Black bean salad will keep up to four days in the refrigerator -a tasty healthy treat for midweek meals.

Enjoy this healthy vegan salad and let us know what you think in the comments below!

xoxo

Sylvia

Other recipes you may like:

• Favorite Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa Chicken Salad
• Our BEST Quinoa Recipes
• Cuban Black Beans
• Roasted Chile Relleno with Black Beans
• Carrot Salad with Quinoa and Almonds
• Lemony Chicken Arugula Quinoa Salad
• 35 Easy Delicious Potluck Ideas

Black Bean Salad

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• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6-7 1x
• Category: salad, vegan
• Method: tossed
• Cuisine: southwest
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Southwest Black Bean Salad with corn, quinoa, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, lime and avocado- a tasty vegan salad that can be made ahead.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 3/4 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or sub sliced cherry or grape tomatoes, or 1 red bell pepper)
• 1 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen, frozen roasted corn is great here), charred
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2–3 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, more to taste
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/8–1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or 1–2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle, or 1–2 teaspoons finely diced jalapeno)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large avocado, diced

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Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa well to remove bitterness, drain, and place in a small pot with the water and oregano. Bring to a simmer, cover, cook on low heat until all the water is gone and quinoa is tender about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, fluff and cool.
2. In a dry skillet, char the corn kernals over medium-high heat until lightly charred.
3. In a large bowl, add black beans, tomatoes, charred corn, scallions, red onion, cilantro, and toss in the room temp quinoa. Add the dressing ingredients to the bowl; olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, maple, garlic clove, cumin, coriander chili powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, salt and pepper.
4. Give a good stir and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and lime and chipotle powder to taste. Keep in mind the salad will soak up some of that salt as it sits, as will the avocado.
5. Once satisfied, gently fold in the diced avocado. ( Or wait to add until right before serving.)
6. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro.

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Notes

To add more heat, feel free to add finely diced jalapeno. To make this less spicy, leave out the chipotle and perhaps substitute with a little more smoked paprika.

If making this ahead, add the avocado right before serving and make sure to adjust seasonings, salt and lime right before serving.

Serve this on its own or over a bed of dressed greens.

Feel free to embellish with pumpkin seeds, crumbled queso fresco, sun sprouts or microgreens.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 273
• Sugar: 5.3 g
• Sodium: 669.4 mg
• Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
• Carbohydrates: 35.1 g
• Fiber: 8.8 g
• Protein: 8.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg