Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing

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.)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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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)

US CustomaryMetric

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

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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

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