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Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad prepared dish

This colorful quinoa salad combines black beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro with a bright lime and cumin dressing. The two-step cooking method gives the quinoa a light, fluffy texture that works especially well in chilled salads.

This recipe is dinner, scaled for 8 servings, with 20 min prep and 20 min cook.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 40 min · Serves: 8

Quick cooking notes

  • Core ingredients include quinoa, black beans, corn, green bell pepper.
  • Follow all 9 steps in order for the intended texture and doneness.
  • Ingredient quantities listed below are for 8 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (well rinsed)
  • 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 cup corn (fresh, canned, or thawed frozen)
  • 1 medium green bell pepper (finely diced)
  • 2 small jalapeño peppers (seeded and finely chopped)
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in several changes of water until the water runs clear.
  2. Cook the quinoa in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse it briefly under cold water.
  3. Set the quinoa in a sieve over simmering water, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and lid, and steam it for about 10 minutes until light, fluffy, and dry.
  4. In a small bowl, toss the black beans with the red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
  5. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let it cool slightly.
  6. Add the black beans, corn, green bell pepper, jalapeños, and cilantro to the quinoa and toss well.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, cumin, remaining salt, and olive oil until combined.
  8. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
  9. Serve immediately or chill for later, then bring to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.

Nutrition (per serving)

  • Calories: 215
  • Protein: 7 g
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 343 mg

Nutrition values are estimates based on stored ingredient totals and serving size.

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