Southwest Quinoa Salad (Vegan & GF)

If you are a regular shopper of Whole Foods and enjoy their salad bar, today’s recipe is for you. This quinoa salad is my version of their Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Salad. If you are a fan of Mexican/Southwest flavors, put it on your weekly menu. It is delicious.

Crunchy, colorful, and packed with flavor, much like my other quinoa salad recipes, Quinoa Tabbouleh, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Lentil and Quinoa Salad, and Mexican Quinoa, it is packed with healthy ingredients like protein-packed quinoa, black beans, bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro.

Similar to my Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad, it’s a wonderful, fresh, and easy quinoa salad recipe that easily feeds a crowd. Served warm or cold, this salad is naturally Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, and with one small adjustment, Vegan, too!

Make a big batch as a part of your weekly prep (for a light lunch throughout the week), or serve it as a great side dish for potlucks or picnics.

Ingredients to Make The Quinoa

Quinoa starts off this eye-catching colorful salad. The Whole Foods version used red quinoa, but you can make it with any color of quinoa you have in the pantry. I have a detailed post on How To Cook Perfect Quinoa on the Stovetop if you need more information, but below is my easy method:

• Uncooked white, red or tri-color (rainbow) quinoa – One cup of uncooked quinoa makes 3-4 cups cooked, and the tiny seeds make a hearty base to soak up the dressing. Use any variety you have on hand. Note the flavor of white quinoa is milder, whereas red quinoa is a little bit stronger and chewier in texture.
• Water – My favorite ratio for quinoa to water is 1 to 2 in other words, cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water.
• Salt – A small pinch of kosher salt enhances the earthy quinoa flavor and it is the easiest way to flavor quinoa.

Alternatively, you can cook quinoa in the microwave, in a rice cooker, or in a pressure cooker using my Instant Pot Quinoa recipe.

Ingredients for the salad:

Colorful, crunchy, and delicious, a mix of both canned and fresh vegetables with vibrant colors makes this salad convenient and easy.

• Black Beans – Two 15oz can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed provide a protein-boost and starchy goodness to this salad. Don’t have black beans? Use kidney beans instead.
• Canned Corn – During the summer months, I use fresh sweet corn kernels from grilling corn on the cob. When it is not in season, I buy one small 10 oz can of whole kernel corn, but you can also use frozen corn, as it has already been blanched and shocked. Simply drain and rinse the canned corn or thaw the frozen corn to room temperature.
• Bell Peppers – The recipe specifies yellow or red bell pepper, but I actually found the mini bell peppers that day in the produce aisle and ended up using quite a bit of them since I like the color and crunch the peppers provide.
• Jalapeno – I feel like this salad wouldn’t be southwestern without jalapeno. Use the entire pepper, including the seeds and ribs, if you want a spicy kick in your salad.
• Cherry Tomatoes – Bright red and somehow always in season, tomatoes add a nice acidity. Quarter or chop to your desired size.
• Scallions + Red Onion – Scallions (aka green onions) are a nice, mild onion flavor that pair well with sweet red onion. I even made a version without the red onion and just used scallions – yum!
• Avocado – The soft and creamy texture of avocado adds richness. Cut it into small cubes to ensure there is avocado in every bite.
• Cilantro – It is optional, but the fresh cilantro makes all the difference. If you don’t like cilantro, an equal amount of flat-leaf parsley will do.

The Dressing

For the dressing, I used my Chili Lime Vinaigrette. With its tangy and spicy flavors, it helped me enhance the Southwestern flavors and took this salad recipe to a whole other level.

How To Make This Southwest Quinoa Salad Recipe

To make this southwest-inspired quinoa salad, simply:

1. Cook the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a medium pot and cover it with water. Set it on the stovetop over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, season with salt, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 14-15 minutes or until little tails emerge from the seeds. Turn off the heat, allow it to rest for 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.
2. Make the chili-lime dressing. In a small jar, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and honey. Give it a good shake.
3. Make the salad. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, fresh corn, peppers, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and red onion. Gently stir in the cooked quinoa, avocado, and cilantro. Drizzle with ¾ of the salad dressing and give it a gentle toss. If the salad looks a bit dry, add the remaining dressing. If not, serve the remaining dressing on the side. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.

How To Serve

This recipe for quinoa salad easily serves 6 people. It makes a healthy make-ahead side dish to bring to your next get-together, as it can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold.

I actually like to make this southwest quinoa lime salad bowl one day in advance, cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. The quinoa soaks up more of that delicious dressing, while all the other ingredients have a better chance to blend together with an overnight rest in the fridge on the next day.

How Long Does It Last In the Fridge

As long as it is stored in an airtight container, this Southwestern quinoa salad will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.

If I know I have a busy week ahead of me, I make it on Sunday, portion it into 5-6 individual meal prep containers (affiliate link), and store them separately in the fridge. That way, I have a healthy, colorful, and protein-packed lunch ready and waiting for me!

Other Quinoa Salad Recipes You Might Like:

If you enjoyed this Southwest Salad and are always looking for the perfect side dish to serve with you main dish recipes, I’ve got you covered! Below are a few favorites from the archives:

• Black Bean and Quinoa Salad
• Lentil Quinoa Salad
• Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Thai Style Quinoa Salad
• Can’t get enough? Check out all our side dishes and more Quinoa Salad recipes

If you make this Southwestern Quinoa Salad, please take a minute to leave a review and/or a star rating. Doing so helps others who are thinking about making the recipe. Also, if you have taken photos, be sure to share them on social media using #foolproofeats so that I can see and share your creations.

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Southwest Quinoa Salad Recipe

5 from 7 votes

By: Aysegul Sanford

Yields6 servings

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

This Gluten-Free Southwest Quinoa Salad with chili-lime vinaigrette is a protein-packed cold quinoa salad that can be made ahead for meal prep, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients 

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For The Quinoa:

• ▢ 1 cup uncooked white, red, or tri-color quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ Pinch salt

For The Chili Lime Vinaigrette

• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lime zest
• ▢ 4 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon honey, or maple syrup for a vegan salad

For The Salad:

• ▢ 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, 15 oz. each
• ▢ 1 cans whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed, 10 oz.
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
• ▢ 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
• ▢ 4 stalks of scallions, chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 ripened avocado, cut into cubes
• ▢ 1 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions 

• To cook the quinoa*: Place quinoa in a saucepan and cover with water over medium-high heat. Add in a pinch of salt. Put the lid on, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for 14-15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let it rest for 10 minutes and then fluff it with a fork.
• To make the chili-lime dressing: Place olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and honey in a small jar, put the lid on, and give it a vigorous shake.
• To Make the Salad: Place black beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and red onion in a large salad bowl. Add in the cooked quinoa, cubed avocado, and chopped cilantro. Drizzle it with the dressing. Give it a gentle toss. 
• Serve.

Video

Notes

A Few Helpful Tips For The Best Quinoa Salad:

• Need a different way of cooking quinoa? Try my foolproof recipes for Microwave Quinoa or Rice Cooker Quinoa.
• Rinse the quinoa. Quinoa has a bitter outer layer called saponin that can be washed away by rinsing the quinoa under cool running water. Simply place in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse for 1-2 minutes. To save you a step, certain manufacturers sell pre-rinsed quinoa – just look for the note on the package
• Add a bit of smokey flavor. When making the vinaigrette, substitute the chili powder for an equal amount of sweet smoked paprika instead.
• Toss the ingredients and dressing with the quinoa while still warm. Warm quinoa soaks up the dressing much more efficiently and warms up the remaining ingredients so that they can soak up more of the dressing, too! Allow the mixed salad to cool for a few minutes and then add the finishing touch of the avocado and cilantro. Serve it warm, room temperature or chill it down in the fridge for a cold quinoa salad.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: I actually like to make it one day in advance, cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. The quinoa soaks up more of that delicious dressing, while all the other ingredients have a better chance to blend together with an overnight rest.
• To Store: As long as it is stored in an airtight container, this quinoa salad will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 523mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Southwestern

Tried this recipe?Mention @foolproofliving or tag #foolproofeats!

This recipe was originally shared on March 2020. It has been updated with additional helpful information with no changes to the originally published recipe on February 2023.