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.
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 (because of the whole complete protein thing, and well, they’re just naturally vegan). 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
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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
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.
Notes
- Nutrition is for 8 servings
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 307
- Sugar: 4
- Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 9
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