Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad (Printable)

Fluffy quinoa and black beans with fresh vegetables and lime dressing for a light, healthy option.

# What You’ll 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

# Directions:

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 a fork, and let cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled quinoa, black beans, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and cilantro until evenly distributed.
03 - Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified.
04 - Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Fold in diced avocado carefully just before serving to maintain texture and flavor.
06 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It stays fresh in the fridge for days and actually tastes better after the flavors mingle overnight.
  • You can eat it straight from the bowl with a fork and feel genuinely satisfied without the afternoon slump.
  • Everything comes together in one bowl with no fancy techniques, just good ingredients doing their thing.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the quinoa, you'll end up with a bitter, slightly soapy taste that no amount of lime can fix.
  • Adding the avocado too early or stirring too hard will turn it into green mush, so wait until the last possible moment.
  • The salad tastes good right away but even better after an hour in the fridge when the dressing soaks into the quinoa.
03 -
  • Toast the cumin in a dry pan for thirty seconds before adding it to the dressing and the whole salad will smell like a secret.
  • If your limes are hard, roll them firmly on the counter before cutting and you'll get way more juice out of them.
  • Taste the salad before serving and don't be shy about adding more salt, lime, or a drizzle of olive oil until it tastes just right to you.
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