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Home » Recipes » Salad

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing

Jan 24, 2016 by Kaitlin · 14 Comments

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This fresh & healthy Mexican Quinoa Salad recipe is so vibrant and nourishing! It's tossed in a cumin-lime dressing and is great made ahead of time for meal prep, picnics, and take-along lunches. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

Overhead view of Mexican Quinoa Salad with black beans in a small white bowl

This Mexican-style Quinoa Salad is so fresh, vibrant, and easy to prepare! It's tossed with a simple cumin-lime dressing that's bright and tasty.

This salad is the perfect combination of light and healthy, yet satisfying and nourishing. Plus it's a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, iron, and many other nutrients.

It's also a great dish to make ahead of time because it holds up really well in the fridge. (And I find the flavors only enhance as it chills.)

Not to mention it's super versatile! Enjoy it as a main dish, side dish, or for meal prep. Or bring it to potlucks, BBQs, and summer get-togethers!

Black beans, tomato, bell pepper, fresh cilantro, sweet corn, lime, garlic, and spice ingredients laid out on a metal tray

Ingredients for Mexican Quinoa Salad

For this recipe you'll toss together in a large bowl:

  • White quinoa: You'll simmer the quinoa on the stovetop which only takes about 15 minutes.
  • Black beans: I like black beans best in this salad, but you can substitute pinto beans or red kidney beans if desired.
  • Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes: I use these because they are so flavorful and sweet. But you can substitute roma tomatoes or other garden tomato.
  • Orange bell pepper: I use orange for a variety of color, but you can use red bell pepper or yellow instead.
  • Sweet corn: Either cooked fresh corn, canned corn, fire-roasted, or you can thaw frozen corn kernels. Most of the time I use organic canned corn for convenience.
  • Green onion: Or substitute finely diced red onion for a stronger flavor.
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Lime juice & lime zest: I suggest grabbing a few limes for this recipe because they can vary in their juiciness. (Plus I like to serve the salad with extra lime wedges for squeezing on top!)
  • Red wine vinegar: I like to add a tablespoon of vinegar for more flavor, but you can add even more if you'd like!
  • Ground cumin
  • Garlic clove
  • Salt: I use fine grain salt for this recipe. Adjust it however you see fit to bring out all the flavors. You can also add black pepper to taste.
Cumin lime dressing being poured over a quinoa salad before mixing together

Customizing

Avocado: This is an optional (but recommended!) addition. I find it's absolutely delicious topped with creamy avocado right before serving.

Make it spicy: Stir in freshly diced jalapeno, chili powder, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste.

Dressing: The dressing is fairly subtle so adjust it to your taste for a more prominent flavor. Add more lime juice, lime zest, vinegar, salt, or anything else that sounds good! (Or if you include oil in your diet, feel free to whisk in a tablespoon of high quality extra-virgin olive oil.)

Sweetness: Add a teaspoon of maple syrup, agave nectar, or your own favorite sweetener to the dressing if desired.

Close-up view of Mexican Quinoa Salad on a white plate with wooden serving spoon

Serving

Salad: Either serve this dish immediately, or let it chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors further combine. (It's a great dish to make ahead because the flavors intensify and blend together by the next day!)

With fresh greens: You can also spoon this salad over a bed of fresh mixed salad greens.

With creamy sauce: I've also enjoyed this salad in bowl dolloped with this zesty Chipotle Crema! It adds creamy texture and smoky flavor.

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I find it keeps well for about 4-5 days.

Overhead view of Mexican Quinoa Salad with cumin lime dressing on a white plate

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan quinoa recipes or Mexican-inspired recipes.

Overhead view of Mexican Quinoa Salad with black beans in a small white bowl

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing

This fresh & healthy quinoa salad is so vibrant and nourishing. It's tossed in a simple cumin-lime dressing and is great served with diced avocado!
4.89 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings: 9 (1-cup servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white quinoa
  • 15 oz. can black beans
  • 8 oz. grape/cherry tomatoes
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, cooked
  • 4 green onions
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • For serving (optional): Avocado, lime wedges, etc.

For the cumin-lime dressing:

  • 1/2 tsp. lime zest
  • 2-3 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Rinse and cook quinoa according to package directions.*
  • Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Rinse and drain beans. Dice the tomatoes and bell pepper. Slice the green onions and chop cilantro. Place in a large bowl with sweet corn.
  • Add the cooked quinoa. Give the dressing another stir, then pour it on top of the salad. Toss well to combine. Taste and adjust flavors if desired (more salt, lime juice, vinegar, etc.)
  • Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors blend. I enjoy mine topped with avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Notes

*To cook quinoa: Place 1 cup quinoa (rinsed well & drained) in a small saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Yield: Recipe makes about 9 cups salad. It's a fairly large batch so reduce if desired. (I find this is about 9-10 smaller side servings, or about 4-5 main dish servings.)
Nutritional content: The estimated nutritional content doesn't include the optional avocado, and is calculated per serving (which is about 1 cup in this case).

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
150
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.2
g
1
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.5
g
Potassium
 
420
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
28
g
9
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
727
IU
15
%
Vitamin C
 
28
mg
34
%
Calcium
 
38
mg
4
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you're enjoying this Mexican Quinoa Salad recipe with cumin lime dressing, also check out:

  • Southwest Pasta Salad with Chipotle Dressing
  • Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
  • Mexican Sweet Potato Bowl

Follow The Garden Grazer on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook for more updates and inspiration.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating:




  1. Jennifer says

    August 04, 2024 at 6:08 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this yesterday. It was delicious! And the colours…so vibrant and cheerful! We brought the leftovers on our hike today, and it’s just as good the next day. This is a masterpiece of a salad, almost too beautiful to eat…almost! 😁 Thanks for sharing this keeper of a recipe.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      August 05, 2024 at 2:14 pm

      Wonderful, Jennifer! I'm honored to hear some of the recipes even join you on your adventures in the great outdoors. What a joy. Thank you for sharing your always beautiful, thoughtful feedback!

      Reply
  2. Ruth says

    May 25, 2024 at 8:51 am

    5 stars
    Just tried this recipe, great results, can’t stop eating it - great recipe, appreciate all the work you put into posting and photographing and offering substitutes.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      May 25, 2024 at 10:27 am

      Hello, Ruth! That's wonderful. I'm thrilled to hear you gave this a try and enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing your kind & thoughtful words as well - they warmed my heart and it's very appreciated.

      Reply
  3. D says

    April 18, 2022 at 12:16 am

    I make this all the time and have for a few years now. It's great for camping. People always love it when I bring it out with some chips. The rainbow makes me happy.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:34 am

      Fantastic! That's so great to hear, and I love that you take it camping. Awesome idea. Thanks for the kind feedback!

      Reply
  4. Pam says

    June 02, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    How do I tell serving size for the posted calorie count and other nutritional information? Great recipe!!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      June 11, 2019 at 12:57 pm

      Hi Pam! This recipe yields about 9 cups (so the posted nutritional content would be per cup since I estimated 9 servings at 1 cup each.) Feel free to adjust the counts as necessary for bigger/smaller bowls. Hope that helps - have a beautiful week!

      Reply
  5. Lindsey Brophy says

    September 29, 2017 at 3:19 pm

    I made this and added a jalapeno pepper, it was really tasty! Next time I would juice 2 limes instead of one for the dressing for some extra citrus flavor.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      October 02, 2017 at 4:11 pm

      Great idea adding jalapeno and extra lime juice next time! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  6. Sierra Hunter says

    September 19, 2016 at 2:24 am

    I loved it!!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      September 19, 2016 at 3:18 pm

      Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  7. Myriam Melendez says

    August 23, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    I have made this salad several times - absolutely delicious every time. I have people asking for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin says

      September 17, 2016 at 3:32 pm

      So great to hear, Myriam!

      Reply

Hello, I'm Kaitlin!
I live in Montana and share vegan recipes that are easy and healthy. About Me →

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