Flavorful Mexican Quinoa Salad – A Perfect Plant-Based Meal

This recipe for Mexican Quinoa Salad is very easy to prepare, it is fresh, healthy, delicious and comes together really fast.

Making Mexican Quinoa Salad is easy and takes just a few minutes. The salad is also full of flavor, making it a great choice for lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious meal that’s quick to make, try this Mexican Quinoa Salad. The combination of quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and red onion make this dish a winner.

Mexican quinoa salad with diced avocado, pico de gallo and black beans

About this recipe

Mexican Quinoa Salad is made with quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and red onion. These ingredients are all fresh and healthy, making it a great dish to add to your regular meal rotation. The quinoa provides a light, fluffy texture, while the black beans, corn, tomatoes, and onion give the dish plenty of flavor and texture.

You can prepare everything in just one pot, but you must have a large pot where you can cook the quinoa quickly so that it does not whip and is fluffy and delicious. From there, it’s just a matter of adding and adding delicious ingredients.

Ingredients

  • Quinoa, you could substitute with black rice or arroz primavera. Quinoa is an ancient grain high in protein and fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. It’s an excellent source of nutrition and takes on the flavor of whatever you’re cooking.
  • PICO DE GALLO: Onions – Onions bring a sweet and savory layer of flavor to your Mexican quinoa salad. Choose red or white onions for the best flavor. Tomatoes – Tomatoes add a bright, acidic flavor that balances out the other ingredients. Roma, cherry, or grape tomatoes work best. Jalapeños or serrano – Jalapeños bring the heat and give your Mexican quinoa salad a spicy kick. Cilantro – Cilantro adds a freshness and herbal flavor that complements the other ingredients.

  • Lime Juice – Lime juice adds a tart and tangy flavor and helps to bring all the flavors together.
  • Black bean, hominy and corn
  • Avocado, Avocado adds a creamy texture and mild flavor to your Mexican quinoa salad that ties all of the flavors together.
  • Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) substitute with sunflower seeds if you don’t have pumpkin seeds.
  • Creamy cilantro dressing
chopped red onion on board, black beans, avocado, corn, corn and pepitas in individual bowls.




💡
  How to make quinoa?


You could also substitute brown rice or cauliflower rice for the quinoa.
Quinoa with corn and corn on the cob in a pot

How to make Mexican quinoa salad?

  • In a large pot, put the water and quinoa, and cover. Leave at medium-high temperature for approximately 6-8 minutes.
  • When the quinoa is ready, uncover and fluff. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Add the olive oil, red onion, frozen corn, corn, pozolero, black beans, jalapeño, lime juice, and finally, the tomato.
  • Finish with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and the seeds.
  • Serve with creamy cilantro sauce.

What Makes Mexican Quinoa Salad So Good?

Mexican quinoa salad is a clear winner when it comes to flavor-packed, nutrient-dense meals. This delicious salad combines a number of powerful ingredients to provide an irresistible flavor that is both comforting and healthy.

Quinoa is the main ingredient in a Mexican quinoa salad, but many other nutritious ingredients make it so tasty. The quinoa is cooked until it is light and fluffy, then combined with black beans, corn, hominy, serrano chile, diced tomatoes, and onion to form the foundation of the salad. All dressed with a vegan creamy cilantro dressing to give the salad a unique Mexican flavor.

Benefits of eating quinoa salads

The combination of ingredients in Mexican quinoa salad makes it a nutritional powerhouse. Quinoa is a great source of protein and fiber, while black beans are a great source of iron. The combination of the two provides plenty of energy and nutrition to keep you going throughout the day. The corn, tomatoes, and onion add loads of flavor and texture, while the cilantro, lime juice, and chili give the dish a flavorful kick.

Tips for Making the Best Mexican Quinoa Salad

To start, use high-quality quinoa. Quinoa is a great base for many dishes, but it’s best when it’s of good quality. Organic quinoa is a great option, as it’s often higher in nutrients and flavors. Make sure to rinse the quinoa before you cook it and add it to your Mexican quinoa salad.

Let the quinoa cool before adding the pico de gallo. A good tip is to add frozen corn kernels to cool it faster.

Eat immediately; it tastes so much better. If you want to use it for meal planning, add the pico de gallo, avocado, and dressing just before eating.

putting cilantro cream on top of Mexican quinoa salad

Variations You Can Try

For a refreshing twist, try adding some fresh, diced mango to your Mexican quinoa salad. The sweet, juicy flavor of mango adds a unique dimension to the dish, and it pairs wonderfully with the mixture of spices and flavors.

If you want something more savory, add diced bell peppers. The bell pepper provides a bit of sweetness and depth. You can substitute bell pepper for other vegetables like zucchini or carrots.

Finally, you can try adding different grains to your Mexican quinoa salad for a more filling meal. Brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, farro, and other grains are all excellent options. Mix and match different grains, or stick to one. The possibilities are endless, and the choice is yours.

Adding different ingredients can create delicious variations of Mexican quinoa salad that you and your family will love. Whether you’re looking for a light and refreshing salad or something more filling, there’s a Mexican quinoa salad recipe for everyone. Get creative and try new ingredients for a truly unique and tasty dish.

Other quinoa recipes you may like:

Made and loved this recipe? Give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. Let me know if you have questions about this recipe in the comment section or DM me on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to stay in touch, and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Alejandra Graf
This recipe for Mexican Quinoa Salad is very easy to prepare, it is fresh, healthy, delicious and comes together really fast.
5 de 1 voto
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 people
Calories 549 kcal

Equipment

  • 6-qt sauté pan with a lid

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cups frozen corn kernels
  • 1 can 454 gr /1 lb posole
  • 1 ½ cups of black beans or 1 can without liquid
  • 1 bunch chopped cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
  • 1 cup of tomato chopped
  • 2 limes juice
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 diced avocado

Creamy cilantro dressing

  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions white and green part
  • ½ jalapeno pepper
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • A good pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot add the quinoa and water, cover and let it cook for about 15-18 minutes.
  • When quinoa is done, fluff and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Add the olive oil, red onion, frozen corn kernels, posole, black beans, jalapeño, lime juice and finally the chopped tomato.
  • Finish with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and the pumpkin seeds.
  • Serve with the creamy cilantro sauce.

To make the creamy cilantro sauce:

  • Put all the ingredients in the blender. Blend until everything is well incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Notes

This recipe does not stores well, it is best when eating  the day you make it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 12gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 387mgPotassium: 677mgFiber: 10gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 4mg
Keyword easy vegan salad, mexican vegan salad, quinoa salad, vegan quinoasalad

information

Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @piloncilloyvainilla on Instagram and hashtag it #alecooks so we can all see your creations.

Alejandra Graf
Latest posts by Alejandra Graf (see all)
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Recipe Rating




0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

BREAKFAST

VEGGIES

MAINS

SALADS