Simple Quinoa Black Bean Salad

Simple Quinoa Black Bean Salad

from minimalistbaker.com
Side
30 min
202 kcal / serving

Fresh, crunchy, versatile quinoa salad with corn, black beans, and a zippy lime vinaigrette. Simple, wholesome ingredients, ready in just 30 minutes, and perfect for everything from BBQs to meal prep!

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cupscooked and cooled quinoa ((3/4 cup or 138 g dry quinoa yields ~2 ½ cups or 460 g cooked))
  • 2 cupscherry tomatoes, quartered ((1 pint yields ~2 cups or 315 g))
  • 1 cuporange or red bell pepper, finely diced ((1 medium bell pepper yields ~ 1 cup or 115 g))
  • ⅓ cupfinely diced red onion ((1/2 small onion yields ~1/3 cup or 50 g))
  • 1can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 earsfresh corn*, kernels removed ((3 ears yield ~1 ½ cups or 225 g corn kernels // or sub 1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed))
  • ½ cupfinely chopped cilantro
  • 4 tbsplime juice ((2-3 limes yield ~4-5 tbsp or 60-75 ml juice, depending on how juicy they are))
  • 2 tbspolive oil
  • 2 tspmaple syrup ((or honey if not vegan))
  • 1 ¼ tspsea salt ((adjust to taste))
  • 1 mediumavocado, finely diced
  • ¼ cuppepitas

Directions

  1. 1

    If you don’t already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup (138 g) dry quinoa and 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water (this will make ~2 ½ cups cooked quinoa — adjust amounts if altering default number of servings). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for ~12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy and has expanded. Remove from the heat, stir, and set aside (covered). The quinoa will get even fluffier as it sits!

  2. 2

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

  3. 3

    Add the cooked and cooled quinoa (it’s okay if it’s not completely cooled) along with the lime juice, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt and mix well. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, lime juice for brightness, olive oil for richness, maple syrup for sweetness, or cilantro for herbiness.

  4. 4

    Serve at room temperature or chilled. Optionally, garnish individual servings with diced avocado and pepitas. Leftover salad (without avocado/pepitas) keeps well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Not freezer friendly.