Zesty Quinoa Lime Salad with Black Beans

by Kayla Berman on January 12, 2023 0 comments

Zesty Quinoa Salad is an easy and healthy side dish recipe or light dinner! Made with white quinoa, colorful vegetables, black beans, sweet corn, and a honey lime dressing … this vegetarian dish is light, bright, citrusy, and tangy. It is perfect for meal prep!

Looking for another quinoa salad recipe? Check out the TikTok Viral Jennifer Aniston Quinoa Salad next.

Colorful, Bright, & Healthy Dish

People always say you should eat the rainbow and sometimes I don’t quite follow through on that piece of wisdom. But a goal of mine this year is to follow the advice!

And this delicious Zesty Quinoa Salad has been one of my best friends in helping me to do so.

It is made with fluffy quinoa, fresh vegetables, sweet corn, black beans, and a tangy honey lime dressing. It is light, bright, citrusy, and of course colorful!

It works perfectly as a side dish, light dinner, or meal prep lunch. The options are truly endless for this healthy salad!

Ingredients

This black bean salad recipe is made with a mix of fresh ingredients and pantry staples! They come together to make a healthy, light, and vegetarian side dish recipe.

Ingredient Notes

Quinoa: The base of this zesty quinoa salad recipe is of course quinoa! Add 1 cup of white quinoa. You could also use black quinoa, red quinoa, or tri-color quinoa!
Vegetables: This recipe is full of colorful fresh vegetables. You’ll need 1/2 red onion, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 cup of quartered grape or cherry tomatoes.
Black Beans: Black beans add some extra plant based protein to this recipe. Add 1 15 oz can.
Corn: Corn adds a lovely sweet taste and a great texture too! Again, you’ll need 1 15 oz can
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil is the base of the simple dressing used here. Use high quality oil for the best flavor!
Fresh Lime: Lime might just be the most important ingredient in this delicious side dish! You’ll need the zest and juice from 3 fresh limes. They give this salad its”zesty” name and add a refreshing kick of flavor!
Honey: I absolutely love the addition of honey in this recipe! It sweetens things up just a bit and the flavor is phenomenal.
Seasonings & Spices: Add 2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp garlic powder to this southwest quinoa salad. Add salt and pepper to taste as well!

Substitutions & Additions

There are a few substitutions and additions you could make to this recipe for it to meet your personal preferences, tastes, or needs!

Grain: The grain used in this recipe is obviously quinoa, but if you are not a quinoa fan feel free to replace it. I think brown rice or couscous would work well here too!

Vegetables: I love the crunch and color fresh vegetables add to this dish. You could replace or add to the existing ones in this recipe with – green onions, jalapeños, avocado, and more.

Honey: Honey adds the perfect sweetness here. If you want to make this recipe completely vegan though – pure maple syrup is a great option!

Seasoning & Spices: Add whichever spices you’d like to this salad – onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, chili powder, paprika, etc.

Fresh Herbs: Fresh cilantro would be absolutely fabulous in this recipe!

Cheese: I wanted to keep this salad pretty vegan-ish (besides honey), so I left out the cheese. But some Cotija or feta cheese would be so delicious.

Kitchen Tools

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How To Make This Recipe

This healthy salad recipe is quite easy to make! All you’ll do is cook quinoa, chop some fresh vegetables, and make a simple dressing.

Then combine everything! The result is a delicious, large salad full of bright color and vibrant flavors.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Start by preparing the quinoa according to the package instructions.

Step 2: Next add the cooked quinoa, red onion, red bell pepper, tomatoes, corn, and black beans to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3: To a separate small bowl or mason jar add the olive oil, fresh lime juice, lime zest, honey, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Shake or stir to combine.

Step 4: Next pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture. Combine all ingredients thoroughly in the large bowl.

Step 5: Place the salad in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before serving. This is optional, but recommended to really develop the flavor!

Step 6: Serve and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Rinse the quinoa! The package directions will most likely tell you to do this too – it is a very important step. Simply run the quinoa through water until the water runs clear.

Season to taste! Seasonings, spices, and herbs are key to this recipe. The main ingredients are pretty minimal so the flavor really comes from these.

Prepare ahead of time! This quinoa salad is the perfect easy meal to prep for lunches for the entire week. Or for a side to add to dinners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed, but it is considered a whole grain! It is high fiber, completely gluten free, and a complete protein.

Is rinsing quinoa a must?

Yes! Quinoa is coated in a natural chemical called saponin that gives a bitter flavor.

Rinsing the quinoa until the water runs clear will get rid of that unpleasant flavor!

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Absolutely! I actually recommend you make this recipe ahead of time.

When this salad sits in the fridge, the flavors develop more and it actually ends up tasting better the next day! I love to make it on a busy week for healthy, easy lunches.

How to best serve this recipe?

This easy quinoa black bean salad can be served in so many delicious ways!

It is a perfect side dish to any main dish protein – like my pan seared chicken thighs, dutch oven pork carnitas, or sheet pan chicken fajitas.

I also think it would be fabulous as a sort of grain bowl with some extra toppings!

How to best store this recipe?

You can store this recipe in airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep best for 5 days – 1 week!

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Connect With Me!

If you make this easy quinoa salad recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.