Quinoa and black beans join forces with corn and avocado to make a sturdy salad with southwestern flavors. It’s a perfect main-dish salad, paired with a simple soup or Easy Quesadillas or Soft Tacos. Photos by Evan Atlas.
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Corn and Avocado
Author: Nava
Recipe type: Grain and bean salad
Cuisine: Vegan / healthy
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6
Quinoa and black beans join forces with corn and avocado to make a sturdy salad with southwestern flavors. It’s a perfect main-dish salad.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve
- 1 cup halved yellow or red cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium firm, ripe avocado, peeled and diced
- ½ medium orange or yellow bell pepper, optional
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, lightly cooked
- 1 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) black or pinto beans
- 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ½ cup salsa (use your favorite variety)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as desired
- Juice of ½ to lime, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa with 1½ cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
- Transfer the quinoa to a serving container to cool. If need be, speed up the cooling process by refrigerating for a while.
- Once the quinoa is just warm, combine it with the remaining ingredients in the container and stir together. Serve at once.
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- Explore Vegkitchen’s wide array of quinoa recipes.
- Explore more of VegKitchen’s Main-Dish Salads.
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more Main Dishes Featuring Grains and/or Beans.
3 Comments
JennyG
November 10, 2013 at 10:25 amThere is no need to add olive oil to this dish. Rely on the squirt of fresh juice from the lime (or a lemon) and the liquid from the salsa. If you crave the taste of fat, I suggest grinding some flax seeds and sprinkling them on top.
To create a creamy sauce, blend raw cashews with a ripe mango and a splash of rice vinegar.
Talia
January 30, 2014 at 9:04 pmMade this tonight! So good. I added mango and subbed the bell pepper for jalepenos.
I also added shrimp. It was amazing!
Tammy
June 9, 2017 at 10:28 pmI made this for a potluck. I added 1/4 cup of red onion. Everyone was raving about it and there wasn’t a spoonful left. It was perfect light, healthy dish for a summer barbecue. I’ll make this one again!