This Quinoa Black Bean Salad recipe is a vegan Mexican side dish packed with corn and black beans.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad - the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

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QUINOA SALAD

Food Trends. Even in the food world there are trends. It seems like everyone now is either vegetarian or vegan and it has me wondering if it’s just a trend or is it here to stay?

Although I know a lot of people who are vegan for the health benefits and that I absolutely applaud! I’m just not a fan of people who say they are vegan and have no idea what it even means. I get asked all the time for vegan recipes so I thought I would give it a whirl.

My friends have all been cooking with quinoa (definitely a food trend right now) and I’ve been wanting to try it for a while.

I have avoided it because: A) I can’t pronounce quinoa without butchering it (“KEEN-wa”) and B) I didn’t know where it was in the grocery store and let’s face it…customer service in South Florida is as bad as it gets.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad - the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

From experience I knew I was bound to get an irritated “I don’t know” or “never heard of it” answer with a side of attitude from the worker at the grocery store.

But I put my brave face on and went to the grocery store. After looking in the rice aisle and not finding it I asked an associate in the rice aisle if they had it and he said “No”.

Then I decide to look harder and there it was right in the rice aisle two feet from the associate. Awesome.

I’m a new lover of Quinoa. It’s quick, healthy and a great vegan option. This Vegan Quinoa and Black Beans has black beans, corn, lime, and cilantro in it — all of the Mexican flavors that I crave so often.

This Vegan Quinoa and Black Bean Salad is a great side or even main course, served hot or cold!

OTHER QUINOA RECIPES:

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (Vegan)

5 from 2 votes
This Quinoa Black Bean Salad recipe is a vegan Mexican side dish packed with corn and black beans.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 (15 ounce cans) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. Sometimes it can have a bitter taste on the outside so rinsing gets rid of this.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until onion is soft.
  • Add the quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Stir in lime juice and frozen corn into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is heated through.
  • Finally, mix in the black beans and cilantro. Garnish with chopped avocado if desired.
  • Serve hot or cold. Store in refrigerator.
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Course: Side Dish
This Quinoa and Black Bean Salad is a vegan Mexican side dish packed with corn and black beans.
author avatar
Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!