Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant quinoa and black bean salad with fresh vegetables and zesty lime dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water

→ Beans

03 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 small cucumber, diced
07 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
08 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
09 - 1 avocado, diced

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat, fluff with fork, and let cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled quinoa, black beans, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, and chopped cilantro.
03 - Whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, minced garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Pour dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.
05 - Fold in diced avocado carefully just before serving to maintain texture and freshness.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It stays delicious in the fridge for days, so you can make it once and eat it three times without any guilt.
  • Every bite has a little crunch, a little creaminess, and a little tang all at once.
  • You can serve it cold on a hot day or at room temperature when youre too lazy to chill anything.
02 -
  • If you add the avocado too early and then refrigerate the salad, it will turn brown and slimy by the next day.
  • Quinoa keeps cooking a little after you take it off the heat, so dont leave the lid on too long or it gets mushy.
  • The dressing tastes sharp on its own, but once it soaks into the quinoa and beans it mellows out perfectly.
03 -
  • Let the quinoa cool completely before mixing it with the vegetables, or the heat will wilt everything and turn the avocado into gray mush.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it on, and if it feels too sharp add a tiny bit more honey to round it out.
  • If you want the onion to be milder, soak the chopped pieces in cold water for five minutes, then drain them well.
Go Back