Southwest Quinoa Salad

This cold Southwest Quinoa Salad is one of my family’s favorite easy quinoa salad recipes. We enjoy it all summer long!

Swim season starts next week for my three kids. And once school is out, we’re at the pool every day, with swim meets 2-3 times each week. To keep us from eating too much junk food (and to save money), we pack our meals whenever we can. Cold salads hit the spot! They travel well, and by planning ahead, our swim meet dinners are packed with healthy protein and vegetables.

This salad tastes great warm, but if you let it sit in the fridge for a while to chill, the quinoa soaks up the yummy dressing and is even better.

I love salads with lots of different textures and fresh flavors, and the colors in this meal just say summer to me!

Let your kids help chop the vegetables. If they’re older (like my tweens and teen), this recipe is easy enough to prepare on their own.

If you keep a home garden, you can fill this quinoa salad with just-picked tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Even better!

Check out my easy way to make quinoa in a rice cooker!

More Quinoa Recipes

• Strawberry Pecan Quinoa Salad
• Tex Mex Quinoa Bowl
• Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Check out my easy way to make quinoa in a rice cooker!

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4.5 from 10 votes

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is the new superfood on the block that has everyone buzzing. My Southwest Quinoa salad will have your tastebuds singing and if the saying "you eat with your eyes" is true, then this salad is a veritiable feast for the eyes!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy recipe, make ahead recipe, quinoa, Salad

Servings: 6

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Gina Lincicum

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa - prepared according to package directions
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Cook quinoa per package instructions, then let cool. While quinoa cooks, prepare other ingredients.
• In large bowl, combine vegetables and cooled quinoa.
• In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour dressing into salad and stir to distribute.
• Serve warm or let chill before serving.

Notes

This is an easy vegetarian quinoa salad dish but you can do many interesting things to change up the recipe.

• Add Meat: Try adding diced cooked chicken or salmon to make a heartier meal.
• This Recipe Can be Doubled: This is a great recipe for a crowd. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and bring to your next get together.
• Change up the Vegetables: Feel free to add any vegetables that you have on hand or are fresh to make this meal your own.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 627mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1008IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 4mg

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