This vegan quinoa salad is bursting with southwestern flavours and makes the perfect healthy main dish or side! A great option for meatless Monday! Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegan.
I absolutely love quinoa and I’m always looking for new ways to spruce it up! A few months ago, I posted this Asian Quinoa & Edamame Salad, which I eat on a regular basis, but I decided that it was time to experiment with some new quinoa salad recipes since I eat it so frequently.
Lately my husband Matt and I have been basing a lot of our meals on a Mexican theme because we really enjoy the flavours. We decided to make each weekend a different cuisine to inspire us to try different recipes from around the world.
It’s a great concept….except we keep doing Mexican over and over again because we just can’t get enough!
So much for switching it up.
One weekend, along with the rest of our Mexican spread we made this Southwestern Quinoa Salad. It was so delicious and refreshing…perfect for the warmer temperatures!
With every bite, it just reminded me of summer. This salad is filling enough to be served as a main dish because it’s packed full of fibre and protein, but it can also be served as a side.
It’s one of those recipes that you can make up and eat for several days, which is a huge time saving strategy and can also help keep you on track with your healthy eating goals. By having a healthy meal already made, you’re less likely to grab for the not so healthy convenience foods!
I always recommend trying to incorporate at least one meatless meal into the week, and this would make the perfect meatless meal option!
If you have a chance to try it out, let me know what you think!
What are some of your favourite meatless meals?
More similar recipes
- Toasted Almond, Grape & Spinach Quinoa Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Butternut Squash, Pomegranate & Kale Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad
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Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup black beans
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cups corn kernels
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 large handful cilantro finely chopped
For the southwestern dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper; set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the southwestern dressing.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, beans, tomatoes, corn kernels, avocado, red onion and cilantro. Pour dressing over top and toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour to allow flavours to meld.
Nutrition
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Loving the flavours in this salad! Looks amazing
Thanks Abbey — makes a great summer salad!