This Southwest Quinoa Salad is healthy, nourishing and packed with flavor. The salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, black beans and corn all tossed is a zesty and spiced dressing. It is great for meal prep and makes a great side dish, or as a light lunch or dinner.
Jump to Recipe
This quinoa southwest salad makes a great side dish to any potluck or bbq party. It can be made ahead of time and served cold or room temperature. Just like this Black Bean, Corn and Feta Dip that I love to bring to any party.
This salad is packed with flavor, loaded with crunchy vegetables, sweet corn and protein rich black beans. The dressing is fresh and zesty from the lime juice with a hint of heat from the spices and chili flakes, the perfect southwest dressing!
Quinoa is a delicious and healthy base for salads, it is nutritious and filling and happily soaks up all the flavours. Quinoa is also naturally gluten-free, rich in fiber and plant based protein. For more quinoa salads, check out this Sweet potato quinoa salad or this Apple cranberry quinoa salad.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Listed below are the ingredients needed to make this quinoa southwest salad.
For the full written recipe with the quantities, see the recipe card below.
- Quinoa, uncooked and any color works. I used a multicoloured quinoa for this black bean quinoa corn salad recipe.
- Vegetable broth – cook the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water for extra flavor. This is optional but highly recommend.
- Canned corn, or frozen corn, drained or defrosted. Leftover grilled or roasted corn is another great option for this corn and black bean salad.
- Canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
- Red onion, they add great flavor and crunch to this salad.
- Red bell pepper, or bell pepper of choice. They add flavor and crunch to this salad.
- Cherry tomatos, halved
- Avocado, roughly chopped
- Fresh cilantro, or parsley, chopped
- Jalapeño, or chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped. For a spicier salad, leave the seeds in.
Dressing
- Olive oil, or other neutral tasting oil like avocado oil.
- Garlic, minced, just a little hint of garlic tastes great in this lemon vinaigrette dressing.
- Maple syrup, for a little sweetness to balance out the acidity of the lime juice.
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed will taste best.
- Spices, sea salt, ground black pepper, ground cumin, paprika powder, ground coriander and optional red chili flakes to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Making this healthy corn black bean salad is easy. Follow the step by step photos below.
For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
- Step 1: Start by rinsing and cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water. Follow the package instructions and let cool to room temperature.
- Step 2: In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
- Step 3: Add the cooked and cooled quinoa to a salad bowl.
- Step 4: Top with the chopped veggies, corn, black beans and chopped herbs.
Step 5: Pour on the dressing and lightly toss to evenly coat the salad.
Step 5: Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper to taste. Top with some extra jalapeño slices and cilantro if desired.
Serve with a side of homemade bread like this No knead olive bread or this No Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
Hint: This quinoa salad has a light and zesty vinaigrette style dressing. If you like a lot of dressing, I recommend that you double the recipe for the dressing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spicy – For a spicier salad, add more red chill flakes or jalapeño to taste.
- Onion – The red onion, ads a nice crunch and bite to this salad. It can also be replaced with copped spring onions or shallots. Or it can also be substituted for pickled red onion for a milder taste.
- Beans – this recipe uses canned black beans but any kind of beans will work. Chickpeas or canned lentils also tasted great.
- Veggies – Add more veggies to this salad, some great options are chopped cucumber or finely shedded cabbage.
- Herbs – instead of fresh cilantro, parsley can be substituted. Or use a mix or herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro.
- Greens – Add some baby spinach, chopped romain, arugula or greens of choice.
- Grains – Instead of the quinoa, add some cooked rice, couscous, farro, or barley as a substitute.
Storage
This corn, black bean and avocado salad is great for meal prep and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps fresh for about 3-4 days. Keep a big batch in the fridge and serve throughout the week as a side dish or light lunch or dinner.
This salad does not freeze well, so I don’t recommend that.
Top Tip
This cold quinoa salad is great to bing for potlucks, summer BBQ parties or as a packed lunch for school or the office. It can be made ahead of time so it is perfect for meal prep and can be served cold or room temperature.
FAQ
Yes, instead of using canned black beans, substitute with homemade! Cook them according to the package instructions and add to the salad after they have cooled down to room temperature.
Southwest salad is a Tex-Mex inspired salad that is popular in Southwestern US. While there are many flavor variations, it often contains a mix of black beans, sweet corn, tomato, avocado and a spicy dressing, inspired by Southwestern cuisine.
Soup recipes
Make it a soup and salad combo:
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment down below and tagging me at @thedeliciousplate in your picture on Instagram. Your feedback is so helpful! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss my latest recipes!
This Southwest Quinoa Salad is healthy, nourishing and packed with flavor. The salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, black beans and corn all tossed is a zesty and spiced dressing. It is great for meal prep and makes a great side dish, or as a light lunch or dinner.
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 (14oz/400g) canned corn or frozen corn, drained or defrosted
- 1 (14oz/400g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatos, halved
- 1 large avocado, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 large lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder or smoked
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
-
Start by rinsing and cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water. Follow the package instructions and let cool to room temperature
-
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
-
Add the cooked and cooled quinoa to a salad bowl, top with all the remaining salad ingredients.
-
Pour over the dressing and lightly toss to evenly coat the salad. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper to taste. Top with some extra jalapeño slices and cilantro if desired.
Leave a Reply