This Quinoa Black Bean Salad is super hearty. It’s perfect as a meal all by itself but goes nicely with the main course as well. Vegan, gluten free, loaded with protein, low-fat, and ready in 20 minutes!
Do you think salads aren’t manly? You better check yourself, Johnson, because ain’t nothing weak about this Quinoa Black Bean Salad.
Honestly, I’ve never been a big salad guy. But, after reading about Erectile Dysfunction being a sign of cardiovascular problems my thoughts quickly changed!
Heart disease is bad enough. But, a limp noodle? No Bueno!
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you. This Quinoa Black Bean is a freak of nature. It’s an absolute flavor bomb. Off the charts healthy. And, it’s easy as hell to make.
The hardest thing about this recipe is pronouncing Quinoa.
How To Make Quinoa Black Bean Salad
A delicious spring mix is the base for this salad.
Next, just add a couple of chopped peppers along with the red onion. A little corn and cilantro. Some black beans for meatiness. Finally, quinoa. And, there’s your salad.
As great as this salad is all by itself, it just didn’t seem right to leave it naked. So, I whipped up this amazing tahini dressing to drizzle across the top. Oh, yeah. Pure heaven.
It also gives it a little bite. Remember, this is a manly salad.
Quinoa Black Bean Salad
It’s time to add more salad to your life, so make this Quinoa Black Bean Summer Salad. Because it’s…
- Loaded with protein
- Meaty
- Helping to “raise the flag” (if you know what I mean)
- Very manly
- Filled with flavor
- Super easy to make
- & Absolutely delicious
This Quinoa Black Bean Salad is perfect as a meal on its own. But, it’s also great to serve with a main dish.
If you’re looking for more salad dishes, try my Quinoa Chipotle Bowl and Three Bean Protein Summer Salad. Both are awesome!
If you make this recipe let me know. Be sure and leave a comment below with a star rating. And, share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
Quinoa Black Bean Salad
This Quinoa Black Bean Salad is super hearty. It’s perfect as a meal all by itself but goes nicely with the main course as well. Vegan, gluten free, loaded with protein, low-fat, and ready in 20 minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 15 mins.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Salads & Dressings
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper
- ½ cup red onion
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 15– ounce can low sodium or no salt added black beans
- ¾ cup corn (fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)
- 1 5– ounce bag (or about 2-3 handfuls, Spring Mix salad (or any other favorite salad greens)
Southwest Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (or you can use lemon juice if you prefer)
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Make dressing by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and stir well to combine. If you need it a little thinner, add a Tbsp. of water at a time. Set aside.
- Dice bell peppers and onion and add to large bowl.
- Roughly chop cilantro and add to peppers and onions.
- Add black beans and corn and mix well.
- Add in your salad greens and toss well.
- Finally, add the quinoa and toss once more.
- When you’re ready to eat, drizzle with Southwest Tahini Sauce and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: A heaping pile
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 21.6 mg
- Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.4 g
- Fiber: 9.5 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
REALLY great salad. Dressing was perfect too. Thanks.
“The hardest thing about this recipe is pronouncing Quinoa.” 😂
We made this with a few additions in Buddha Bowl style: pineapple chunks, tortilla chips, guacamole on the side, mild jalapeno pepper rings, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and diced tomatoes. I added Tajin seasoning to the dressing which amped it up a bit. Especially nice since we got to use fresh baby kale, swiss chard, green pepper and cilantro from our garden. Delish!
I made this salad as you suggested, and loved it! I used a salad dressing from another of your recipes and was quite happy with it. Thanks!
Lots of flavor and very filling! Definitely will make many more times
Shane,
Just tried to make this salad. Am I supposed to rinse the black beans?
Also, made the dressing. I think I should have used just 1/2 tsp. of the chili powder. It was a bit strong for me and I like a little spicy and hot.
I always drain and rinse beans and may not have put that in the recipe. I’ll check and update. As far as spices are concerned, make it fit your taste.
Love this salad, I added chick peas as well as the black beans.
Thank you Shane
I loved this! My dressing wasn’t as flavorful as it should have been though. Next time will add some lemon and garlic. Also, I think some chunks of avocado would be a good addition.
Thanks for this great recipe.
Yes, make it fit your taste. Adjust as needed.
Me again. Just gotta say, I am putting this dressing on all kinds of things. Anytime I want a Southwestern vibe. I have been using a combo of whatever cooked bean and grain I have available, add chopped or shredded veggies, chopped fruit (mango is especially good, but pineapple or oranges work, too), chopped greens, and this sauce. I have used the dressing on ears of fresh, grilled sweet corn. Works lovely as a sauce on bean burgers, too! I love that I don’t have to break out the blender to make it. Got a double batch in the fridge right now. Thanks again, Shane.
We loved this salad. And, the dressing…oh my. There is voodoo magic in that sauce. 😋
On day #2, Hubby took leftover salad and sauce and rolled it in a tortilla to make a burrito. Yum! Definitely will make this again. 👍 Thanks Shane! 😄
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Made the salad yesterday, it was so colorful and oh so good! I added a few extra tblsp lemon juice and some minced garlic to the dressing. This will be a perfect picnic salad, thank you again.
This salad looks sooo good, I just wanted to dive in! I’ve made my grocery list so I can make this tomorrow. Your photos look professional and each of your recipes I’ve made is delicious, thank you for your hard work!
Perfect for spring!
Shane,
I just received news my cholesterol is off the charts. I made this salad last night to take to work for lunch today. It was very good and very satisfying. I am trying to embrace a plant based diet for obvious reasons, and am so happy to have come across your site My labs came back to me yesterday so this is truly Karmic that I found your wonderful recipe section.
Thank you, Kathleen! I’m glad you’re here and know the struggle all too well. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments. You got this!
Awesome all the way around … my man who is NOT a salad man enjoyed it too!!!
Thank you, Charmaine! Got to get men eatin’ plants!!! Have a great day!
My new favorite summer salad. This will become my go-to potluck share! Loved this so much!!
Thanks, Kim! So glad you enjoy liked it and are willing to share it:) Have a great day!
This salad was really delicious. I love the dressing. Thank you.?
Thank you!!!
Thanks so much! Love the creativity of using slaw mix. That’s what it’s all about. Thanks for reaching out. Love hearing these stories and the feedback. Blessings.
This recipe was terrific! The dressing was delicious. I didn’t have any lettuces, but I had cole slaw mix from the store, so I used that. It gave the salad a very nice crunch, and the plus was that, the next day, I used the leftover salad as the base for a stir-fry. I’ll be using this dressing frequently in my rotation. It will go with many things.