Make this light and refreshing quinoa salad recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand! This flavorful Mexican salad is vegan and gluten-free and the perfect vegetarian meal to add to your rotation.
Quinoa Salads Rule!
When in doubt make a quinoa salad…who is with me?! I’ve been making quinoa salads since prehistoric Fit Foodie Finds time. I remember when I could buy quinoa in the bulk section for $2.99/lb. because no one knew about it!
Then, one day it hit mainstream and prices tripled. #TBT Don’t you worry, I’m still a fan and obviously still incorporate quinoa (salads) into my nutrition regime on a weekly basis. I do this mostly because it’s healthy, easy to make, and something I almost always have on hand.
Did you know that quinoa is a complete protein? I was just refreshing my memory on what a complete protein is, thank you Greatist and reaffirmed myself that quinoa really is the superfood of all superfoods. So, there are 9 essential amino acids that the body can not produce and a complete protein is when a protein has all 9 amino acids in nearly equal amounts. Sounds confusing, I know, just go with it! If you’re a vegetarian or don’t eat a lot of meat, quinoa needs to be yo jam!
This is actually an older recipe that we recently reinvented. Did a little recipe tweaking, new photos, and bam, you’ve got yourself some delicious Mexican quinoa.
Now, we’ve got a handful of vegan quinoa recipes here on FFF (Golden Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Salad, Tofu Quinoa Burrito Bowls, and Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa) and this recipe, in particular, is also vegan. It’s gluten-free and vegetarian, too! Here’s the basis of what cha need!
Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa, uncooked
- Black beans
- Sweet corn
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Avocados
- Mexican vinaigrette
More Vegan Quinoa Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa
- 10 Healthy Quinoa Recipes
- Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls
- Sweet Potato Green Curry Quinoa Casserole
- Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Chili
- Banana Quinoa Porridge
- Sweet Potato Vegan Buddha Bowls
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Make this light and refreshing quinoa salad recipe with ingredients you probably already have on hand! This flavorful Mexican salad is vegan and gluten-free and the perfect vegetarian meal to add into your rotation.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed
- 1 15 oz can sweet corn
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 large red onion, minced
- 2 large avocados, sliced (for serving)
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, fresh
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced (1/4 cup lime juice)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- pinch of smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
- Once quinoa is cooked, place in a large Tupperware and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Prepare dressing by placing all ingredients into a mason jar. Put cap on and shake until combined.
- Prepare salad, by mixing together cooked quinoa, black beans, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Mix until combined. Then, pour on dressing and mix again.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/6 recipe Calories: 307 Sugar: 4 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 35 Fiber: 8 Protein: 9Keywords: Mexican quinoa salad
Love this recipe,! Has been on repeat all summer!
★★★★★
[…] JUMP TO : Vegan Salad Recipes Quinoa […]
Made this today and loved it! I subbed a couple of the spices for what I had on hand for the dressing. And adding taco seasoning to the quinoa takes it to a new level! I also added a bit of feta on top and it was amazing. It takes under 30 minutes to make and my whole family was happy eating it.
Just a note that the recipe isn’t vegan because it has honey in it however. But it is a great vegetarian option!
★★★★★
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try. I noticed it said it was a vegan recipe but uses honey? I’m guessing it’s all good to use a vegan substitute?
Many thanks for all of your amazing recipes 🙂
Just swap it with maple syrup or omit all together!
[…] them vegetarian (or even vegan) and they’re a great thing to keep in the fridge at all times. Our Mexican Quinoa Salad Is a great dish to bring to gatherings or even pop in a jar for […]
[…] Mexican Quinoa Salad […]
Very delicious!!!
★★★★★
[…] Mexican Quinoa Salad […]
Why wouldn’t it be awesome! No left overs at my party on this recipe…
So, so, SO good. Man I can’t stop eating this!
★★★★★
This salad was delicious! Easy to prepare using simple ingredients. This has become my new summer favorite.
★★★★★
I made this salad as a side dish for a bbq we were having, as one of the guests was a vegetarian and I wanted her to have several vegetarian options to choose from. This salad was a huge hit with everyone! I will definitely be making this again. It would be a perfect salad to make and have for lunches during the week also.
★★★★★
YAY!! I love this salad too!
This has become one of my go-to recipes! I love everything about it – it is perfect to make for dinner and eat the next day out of the fridge.
★★★★★
[…] Mexican Quinoa Salad […]
Thoughts on adding chicken to this recipe?!
That sounds amazing! This recipe already makes a LOT of food, so if you can finish it all you can totally add chicken!
Love this!!! I made a big batch so I can have it for lunches when I’m home with my kiddos. My Mom was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I can bring this salad to our cabin and she can eat it without worrying too much about carbs.
★★★★★
Yum! I’ve been looking for more meatless meals to try. I will definitely add this to the list!
Quinoa works FAR too well in Southwestern recipes. The marriage of quinoa, black beans, corn, and tomatoes taste glorious. Oh yes, and you can never forget the spices and avocado! YUMMY!
I like Mexican food and all spicy food
it should be very tasty
★★★★★
Mine was kind of a pintrist fail. The balsalmic vinegar turned it dark, so it didn’t look like your oictures! I added red peppers for a little more flavor and some chipolte hot sauce for the smokiness. Any suggestions for next time? I will definitely eat it for dinner tonight, but glad I am not having guests over because it doesnt look pretty!!