Quinoa Salad with Black Beans Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis rainbow quinoa salad with black beans recipe is a fresh and tasty lunch or side dish, loaded with vegetables, and amazing flavor in each bite! A delicious recipe made with hearty grains, beans, and bright and crunchy vegetables.
This is a great recipe for hearty meal prep during the week that can easily be made vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free.
Want more vibrant salads? Try our easy potsticker salad recipe, farro and artichoke heart salad, or our favorite crunchy Thai chickpea salad!
This Quinoa Salad with Black Beans is a fantastic lunch recipe, made with all the vegetables and smothered in a tangy lime vinaigrette dressing.
Packed with red pepper, carrots, fresh kale, black beans, and corn – this salad is the perfect side dish for a party, BBQ, or dinner. Its perfect to make ahead, meal prep, or batch cook too!
This Black Bean Quinoa Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Flavorful
- Loaded with Vegetables
- Inexpensive
- Versatile
- Vegetarian, Gluten Free, and Vegan
High Protein Salad for Entertaining
This rainbow quinoa salad was always my favorite dish to bring to a pot luck or a party when I lived in California! Its a great summer salad packed with tons of fresh vegetables and a light citrus-y dressing. Even after about 10 years, this is still my favorite quinoa salad to make as a quick lunch or party food.
Its perfect to make ahead for a party or BBQ as the flavors only get better with a day or two in the fridge.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bell Pepper, Corn, Carrots, Greens (I used arugula
- White Quinoa: I used white quinoa, but you can use red or multicolored. You can cook quinoa on the stove top, in the Instant Pot (my preferred method), in the rice cooker. This quinoa is a fantastic addition to salads, soups, or wraps.
- Black Beans: Use no salt added or low sodium beans for better flavor and control of the salt in this dish.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea Salt & black pepper
- Lime Juice: If you don’t have fresh limes, bottled lime juice is a passable substitute.
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Make Ahead Quinoa Salad
This bean and quinoa salad is a fantastic and simple recipe to make ahead. Great for a busy weeknight, for entertaining, or just for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking. I like to prep one (or a few) of these ahead of time, and save some for later.
Having ready cooked meals in the fridge or freezer is a great way to enjoy home cooked meals when you don’t have time in the kitchen. Freezing ingredients is also a great way to use up food that may be expiring soon. Check out all my make ahead meals for some inspo to help you prep, keep, heat, and heat!
How To Make This Salad
Step 1: Cook quinoa according to package directions (or place 2 cups water with 1 cup quinoa in a pot, simmer for 30 minutes until tender). In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, bell pepper, carrots, corn, avocado, and greens.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl (or pint sized mason jar with lid) add the olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well until combined.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the salad.
Step 4: Toss the salad well to combine. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill and serve within 2 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This salad tastes even better after the flavors have had time to meld when chilled together. Make it up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Give it a quick toss before serving again, adding 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil if desired.
We typically serve it cold or at room temperature, making it perfect to bring along to picnics, or potlucks, or for weekly meal prep.
More Fiber-Packed Salads
- Mediterranean Arugula Salad with Quinoa Recipe
- Cranberry Orzo Salad with Spinach and Feta Cheese Recipe
- Avocado Black Bean Salad Recipe with Corn
- Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Sauce
- Fruit Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
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Quinoa Salad with Black Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cups white quinoa cooked
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 avocado peel removed and diced
- 1/2 cup sweet corn
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1 14 ounce can black beans
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 limes juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, bell pepper, carrots, corn, avocado, and kale.
- Open can of black beans and drain over a colander in the sink. Rinse the beans, drain them, and add them to the quinoa salad.
- In a pint sized mason jar add the olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Shake thoroughly, and pour over salad.
- Mix all together and taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
Nutrition
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Beautiful colors, wonderful dressing, good for me, delicious
So tasty, so delicious, love it