Mexican Quinoa Salad

Summers are around the corner and I am sure you all love the salads as much as I do.. Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking an elaborate meal, do you all feel the same or is it just me? Specially in summer, kitchen is not a friendly place to be..hehe… I had so much quinoa in my pantry and I have been coming across salads that includes quinoa.  So decided to make Mexican Quinoa Salad.

I went through so many different versions of this salad on the net.  This is such a simple salad with so much flavor.  If you have cooked quinoa in the fridge it would literally take 15 mins to put this salad together.  How many of you are a fan of Mexican flavors? I am a big one and if you are like me then you will love this recipe.  This will work awesome for your next BBQ or for a picnic.

For those who don’t know about Quinoa.  Quinoa is a flowering plant in amaranth family and is grown as a grain crop specially for its seeds.  It is gluten free and a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B and folate.  It is easily digested and has a nutty taste.

Black beans are dense and has a meaty texture, a popular bean in Latin cuisine. They are considered to be powerhouses of nutrition as they are rich in low fat protein, dietary fibers, magnesium, folate, iron, vitamin B and has high amount polyphenol being the darkest color in the bean family.

Corn is good for you, even it has carbohydrates as it is rich in magnesium, vitamin C, carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin.  It is low in fat, contain less calories and more dietary fiber.  Diets high in fiber can help to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar and weight control.

Peppers are low in saturated fat,  cholesterol and sodium.  These should be included in your diet specially if you are looking to shed a few pounds.

Definitely worth a try…Now lets get to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (as per instructions)
• 1/2 cup canned black beans
• 1/2 cup canned sweet corn
• chopped cilantro
• 1 small red pepper, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion chopped (didn’t use it)
• 1-2 green onion, chopped
• avocado, optional (didn’t use it)
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp lime juice or to taste
• 1 tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 garlic cloves, press it with a garlic presser, or finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

First of all cook the quinoa as per the instructions which is 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups of water. Once done fluff it up using a fork and let it cool down completely. Then refrigerate for about half hour.

To make the dressing, in a mason jar, add olive oil, cumin powder, salt, pepper, lime juice, vinegar, pressed garlic, and garlic powder.  Put on the lid and shake it well.  Set the dressing aside.

Rinse the black beans and corn well once taken out of the can.  Take the quinoa out of the refrigerator.  In a mixing bowl, add quinoa, black beans, both peppers, cilantro, onion, green onions, avocado if using.  Mix everything together.  Now add the dressing to the mixture and mix well again.  Do a taste test to see if there is any salt needed.  Add it at this time and mix it. You can refrigerate for a little bit before serving so the flavors can marry.

Your Mexican Quinoa Salad is ready to be served.

You can also try my other Quinoa recipes: Quinoa Chilli, Quinoa Pilaf, Quinoa & Potato Cutlets, Quinoa Pilaf with Soy Kebabs

Pin this Mexican Quinoa Salad for later and do give it a try for your next BBQ

If you like the recipe, please comment below after you give it a try and share it on Facebook.  Would like to hear from you. Your comments, likes, dislikes, matters to me. Thank you for stopping by!!

Happy Cooking!!!

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Sarika Gunjal

Mexican Quinoa Salad, a flavorful addition to your collection of salad recipes this summer especially when you are in a rush.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Salads

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup cooked quinoa as per instructions
• ½ cup canned black beans
• ½ cup canned sweet corn
• chopped cilantro
• 1 small red pepper chopped
• 1 small green pepper chopped
• 1 small red onion chopped didn't use it
• 1-2 green onion chopped
• avocado optional (didn't use it)
• ¼ extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
• salt to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp lime juice or to taste
• 1 tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 garlic cloves press it with a garlic presser, or finely chopped
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

 

• First of all cook the quinoa as per the instructions which is 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups of water. Once done fluff it up using a fork and let it cool down completely. Then refrigerate for about half hour.
• To make the dressing, in a mason jar, add olive oil, cumin powder, salt, pepper, lime juice, vinegar, pressed garlic, and garlic powder. Put on the lid and shake it well. Set the dressing aside.
• Rinse the black beans and corn well once taken out of the can. Take the quinoa out of the refrigerator. In a mixing bowl, add quinoa, black beans, both peppers, cilantro, onion, green onions, avocado if using. Mix everything together. Now add the dressing to the mixture and mix well again. Do a taste test to see if there is any salt needed. Add it at this time and mix it. You can refrigerate for a little bit before serving so the flavors can marry.
• Your Mexican Quinoa Salad is ready to be served.

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