Mexican Quinoa Salad Recipe
I love a summer side dish with southwest flavors and this Mexican quinoa salad recipe hits all the checkboxes: easy, meal prep approved, and delicious.
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Mexican Quinoa Salad
I wanted to keep this Mexican quinoa salad as simple as possible, I also wanted to make it vegan since I’ve had a request for more vegan recipes (I hear you, I am working on it!).
This recipe is a perfect summer side dish for a bbq or as a meal prep lunch (how I’ve been eating it this past week).
Tip: If you’re making it as a meal prep lunch, leave the avocado out and add that fresh. Otherwise, it will go brown and mushy.
How to Cook Quinoa
I recommend following the instructions on the bag, but if you’re like me and decant everything, cooking quinoa is easy.
Rinse the quinoa to get rid of the dirt and saponins.
Remember: 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water.
Add the quinoa and water to a pot (I typically do 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water or broth) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once it starts to bowl, cover with a lid and turn to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and cover for another 5 minutes.
What Makes This Recipe So Great
I love this Mexican quinoa bowl because it’s a no oven recipe. Up until this last move, we never had air conditioning and I was always on the look out for meals in the summer that didn’t require an oven.
It’s also versatile you can also have it as a cold Mexican quinoa salad or heat it up.
Mexican Quinoa Bowls Ingredients
- Quinoa
- Canned black beans
- Red pepper
- Orange or yellow pepper
- Corn (I used frozen)
- Cilantro
- Avocado
For the lime vinaigrette
- Limes
- Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Salt
- Paprika
- Pepper
Is Mexican Quinoa Salad Healthy
Yes, this is a healthy Mexican quinoa salad recipe. It uses whole foods, is a great source of fiber, and 1/8th of this recipe only has 222 calories.
As with all foods, the key is portion size. If you eat too much of it, then you may have overdone it.
I have made this dish to be a side dish that’s high in protein (1/8th of a recipe). Or a meal (1/4 of the recipe) at 444 calories.
FAQ
Can I add chicken to Mexican Quinoa Salad?
Yes! Feel free to grill up chicken or steak to “beef up” (pun intended) the recipe.
How long in advance should I make the salad?
I recommend at least a few hours, the longer the dressing chills in the fridge and melds with the ingredients, the better. (This recipe tastes even better the next day.)
What else can I add to the recipe?
Anything you want! Give it a try and let me know what works. I meant to add a red onion but forgot and didn’t realize until I was editing the photos. You can also add cotija cheese (or feta).
Where did you get your spice jars and labels?
I purchased the jars from Amazon. The labels are from this Etsy shop and I printed them on this sticker paper from Amazon.
How long does this keep in the fridge?
The Mexican Quinoa Salad Bowls will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. However, remember to add the avocado in fresh otherwise it will go brown and mushy.
How to Make Mexican Quinoa Salad
The most you have to “cook” is the quinoa, however if you meal prep it ahead of time this recipe is a simple dump in a bowl, mix, and serve.
It truly takes little time to eat this healthy and delicious salad.
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Mexican Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 orange pepper diced
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced
For the lime vinaigrette
- 1.5 limes juiced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions (or see notes).
- Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled, add all if the ingredinets together.
Lime vinaigrette
- Toss all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk. You can also add to a blender.
- Pour over the salad, toss, and chill.
- The longer this salad sits in the fridge and marinates, the better!
Notes
Nutrition
How much garlic? Minced?
Thanks for pointing out my typo Michelle. One clove, minced. But if you love garlic, two won’t hurt 😉
Awesome~~ we did not even use meat!. The Quinoa is such an awesome add-in to this recipe and makes it nutritious and delicious..
Hey Ann! I’m so happy you liked it 😀