Mexican Quinoa Salad is a healthy Mexican flavor inspired salad. This whole food plant based recipe is quick to make (less than 30 minutes), healthy, full of fresh vegetables, oil free, vibrant and delicious! This plant based quinoa recipe is perfect if you want to add more plants to your diet, if you are vegan or you just love fresh healthy dishes.
I am usually not big on salads because to me they seem boring but this Mexican inspired Quinoa Salad is the opposite of boring. I threw this together to take for lunch not expecting much but wow it really was fresh and delicious. Mexican Quinoa Salad is perfect to pack for a picnic or bring to a summer cook out.
I love it even more because it is Oil-free. You skip the oil and dress this salad with fresh squeezed lime and fresh chopped cilantro which brings a bright fresh flavor to the salad. You won’t even miss the oil found in typical salad dressings.
One of the great things about this salad is that you can customize it to your liking or with what you have on hand. Don’t have black beans? try pinto beans. Like spice? Add some chopped chili pepper. Don’t have tomatoes? Add in some salsa. Have some zucchini to use up? Throw it in. Use this recipe as a base to create your own version of this Mexican Quinoa Salad recipe. Don’t forget to use lots of spices, be generous with the lime juice and top it with some creamy avocado.
This salad make enough for six portions – perfect for weekly meal prep, usually I make a big bowl of this quinoa salad and enjoy it all week long. If serving in a group setting it will be enough for 10+ people as it make a large bowl. 1 cup of dry quinoa usually yields about 3 cups of cooked quinoa; so you can always cook more quinoa to start off with if anticipating needing more.
Check out me making this Mexican Quinoa Salad Recipe:
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 bell pepper red, green, orange, yellow or combination
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 cup corn
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt optional
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 avacado optional
Instructions
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Cook quinoa per package instructions.
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Chop bell pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro. Dice the red onion and jalapeno. Drain and rinse black beans.
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In a large bowl mix cooled quinoa, chopped vegetables, corn, beans, spices and juice from lime. Add more lime juice & spices to taste.
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Serve chilled and optionally with sliced avocado.
Recipe Notes
Store in airtight container in refrigerator, best eaten within 5 days.
Looking for more healthy oil free recipes? Check these out:
- Buffalo Tempeh Tacos they even have a oil free ranch
- No Bake Brownies
- Kale Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
- Portobello Mushroom Barley Soup
- Cherry Pie Larabars
If you make this recipe be sure to comment below with how it turned out! Tag me in your mexican quinoa salad photos on instagram @emilyhappyhealthy!