Quinoa Black Bean Salad

High in protein, this black bean quinoa salad with delicious red cherry tomatoes is a great way to get your fiber and serve up a beautiful, tasty, and delectable quinoa salad.

Mouthwatering and flavorful, this basic quinoa salad side dish can be altered to have a Mexican or Southwest spin but is perfectly lovely and light on its own. Enjoy the zesty lime and cumin seasoning that is not overpowered and really lets the quinoa shine through.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients

The beautiful tri-colored quinoa used makes for a gorgeous display but its also quick to make and can serve a ton. Also a great dish and a true superfood for a large crowd or picnic, make quinoa ahead of time and pull together a fresh salad day of. And if this is your first time cooking quinoa, no worries, its really easy!

Here are the ingredients to whip together an easy warm side salad (also serves cold just fine!). Once verifying all ingredients are on hanf with this list, scroll down to watch recipe or video or head to the printable recipe instructions to get started!

• quinoa, dry
• live oil
• 2 limes
• ground cumin
• salt
• red pepper flakes
• cherry tomatoes
• 1 can black beans
• green onions
• fresh cilantro
• salt and ground black pepper

Black Bean Salad with Quinoa Recipe

Bring dry quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, which takes about 15 minutes.

Once quinoa is light and fluffy, set aside to cool and move to next step.

In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, fresh lime juice, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes together.

In a separate bowl, combine cooled quinoa, cherry tomatoes, drained and rinsed black beans, and sliced green onions.

Pour homemade dressing over quinoa mixture; toss lightly to coat.

Stir in fresh cilantro leaves; season entire black bean quinoa salad with salt and pepper.

Serve salad immediately (may be slightly warm) or chill in refrigerator. This salad can be served hot or warm, making it a great side dish for all occasions.

This quinoa recipe can be made in 20 minutes and also makes quite a bit. Id say it serves at least 8 and more if its just a side dish. 6-8 if this salad is being served as a main dish.

Add in a salad wrap and top with proteins like chicken for a super delicious lunch. Quinoa is a common ingredient in a “power bowl.”

Quinoa salad (as is) has no dairy and is a vegetarian and vegan friendly recipe option.

Yes! Make the quinoa the day before (that’s what I did) and pull together for a full fresh salad the day you plan to serve.

Add chunks of diced red and green bell peppers, jalapenos for spice, or soft pieces of ripe avocado for a change up in flavors. To make more of a Mediterranean spin, add feta cheese and a cucumber. For more of a Greek quinoa salad, add Kalamata olives, feta and red onions. Worth noting is that there are a lot of olive types. You can try mixing up kinds of olive flavors which would go great in this type of side dish.

Can Quinoa help you lose weight?

Quinoa has no specific rules that help you lose weight but is high in fiber, quite filling, and perfect recipe choice for a balanced and healthy variety diet.

Other benefits of quinoa in your diet include:

• Lower carbs than white rice
• High quality protein (considered a super food)
• Gluten Free
• Whole Grain
• Fluffy and light flavor (Similar to CousCous Salad)