Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean (Print Version)

A protein-packed salad with quinoa, black beans, fresh vegetables, and lime dressing.

# What You 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 water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa, lower heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes 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 well combined.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
05 - Fold in diced avocado carefully just before serving to maintain texture and freshness.
06 - Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It sits happily in the fridge for days and somehow tastes even better the next afternoon when the flavors have mingled.
  • You get that satisfying fullness without the afternoon slump because quinoa and black beans are basically a protein dream team.
  • The lime dressing is so bright and punchy it wakes up your taste buds even on the grayest Monday.
  • Everything goes into one bowl and you can eat it cold straight from the container while standing at the counter.
02 -
  • Let the quinoa cool completely before mixing or the warm grains will wilt the vegetables and turn the avocado brown.
  • If you skip rinsing the quinoa, the natural coating called saponin will make the whole dish taste bitter and off.
  • Add the avocado right before serving or it oxidizes and looks sad within an hour.
03 -
  • Toast the quinoa in the dry saucepan for a minute before adding water and it'll taste nutty and deeper.
  • If the salad tastes flat after a day in the fridge, hit it with more lime juice and a pinch of salt to wake it back up.
  • Use a fork to fluff the quinoa after cooking so it doesn't clump into a dense mass.
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