A super-tasty and nutrition-packed quinoa salad with black beans, sweet potato and a smoky lime and chipotle chili dressing. This is a perfect recipe for healthy meal planning.
Say hello to one of our favorite healthy recipes – a quinoa salad with black beans that’s perfect to make ahead for a busy week.
The tender grains are tossed with black beans, cooked sweet potato chunks and a tangy-smoky dressing blended with spicy chipotle, lime juice and garlic.
This is a vegan quinoa salad that holds up well in the refrigerator, which is always a plus when jam-packed schedules are on your plate.
In my book, black beans and sweet potatoes go together beautifully.
I often pair them up in salads and side dishes like my Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with a creamy avocado dressing.
What does quinoa taste like?
Quinoa has a neutral taste, which is why it makes a great base for so many different global flavors in recipes.
For that reason, I really love spicing up my black bean quinoa bowl with earthy, smoky spices and bold seasoning.
Cooked tender quinoa has an appealing texture that I find pleasantly crunchy with a mild, nutty flavor.
Is quinoa healthy
You might already know that quinoa is a superfood, known as The Mother Grain, basically regarded as a miracle among grains.
Quinoa is actually a “pseudo-cereal” grain, harvested from a grassy plant that is not classified as a grain.
The little seeds are a complete protein, loaded with calcium, vitamins and minerals as well as all nine essential amino acids.
So yes, by all accounts quinoa is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat!
In fact, some have gone so far as to say that quinoa can supply “all the life-sustaining nutrients” compared to all other foods in the plant and animal kingdom.
How to cook quinoa
Quinoa cooks up quickly, in less than 20 minutes.
Basic recipes for cooking quinoa often call for rinsing the grains in a mesh strainer, because the grains are coated with saponin, a naturally occurring chemical that can have a bitter taste.
Since I’ve learned that most of the quinoa we buy is pre-rinsed to remove the saponins, I skip the rinsing step most of the time.
I’ve never noticed any off flavor or weird texture, but if you prefer to give your quinoa a quick rinse please do!
To cook quinoa, just combine 1 cup in a saucepan with 2 cups water.
Simmer until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. When it’s ready, the grains will have a small translucent ring, showing that the seed has “popped” open.
How long does quinoa salad last in the fridge?
I’ve snacked on this salad for days after making it.
Quinoa salad holds up well in the fridge up to 5 days without getting soggy or losing it’s tastiness.
I recommend eating it at room temperature or slightly warmed for the best flavor – cold salads can taste kind of dull.
More fresh and healthy make-ahead salads:
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
A delicious make-ahead vegan quinoa salad for lunch or an easy healthy dinner.
This gluten-free salad is mixed with black beans, sweet potato and a delicious homemade smoky chipotle-lime dressing. Feta cheese is a fantastic addition for a vegetarian (non-vegan) salad.
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vingear
- 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
- 1 or 2 canned chipotle chili pepper packed in adobo sauce (choose 2 for more heat), chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (non-vegan)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato cubes *see note on how to cook
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (4 or 5)
- 1 fresh red chili pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Pulse all ingredients in a mini food processor until smooth, or whisk together in a bowl.
- Put the quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook at a simmer 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff the grains lightly with a fork and cool slightly.
- Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the black beans, sweet potato, green onions, chili pepper and cilantro.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to mix. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- To cook sweet potato: Peel and cut a large sweet potato into cubes. Place in a steamer basket set in a saucepan of simmering water, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast the sweet potato in a 425F oven: Toss the cubes on a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast until golden and tender, about 25 minutes.
- Salad will keep refrigerated up to 5 days.
If you have leftover cooked sweet potatoes, this recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, and just as quickly if you steam the sweet potato while the quinoa cooks.
Other add-in ideas: avocado and/or red bell pepper
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 232 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 375mg Carbohydrates: 31g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 11g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 6g
Hi there! I’m Karen, a mother of two and a professionally trained cook certified in holistic nutrition.
As the recipe developer, photographer and publisher of Familystyle Food, I share recipes and tips for making easy seasonal meals that are healthy and flavorful. Learn more about me here.
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Liza says
I am still working on convincing S that he could like quinoa. Maybe if I put beans in it…
Lori says
I love quinoa. I have it a lot with black beans and squash and tomatoes. Yummy.
You recipe here sounds delicious and I think I will try it before the week is up. Thank you.
Emiline says
Looks fabulous!
Please send me some quinoa from St. Louis. We don’t have any in Springfield.
Karen says
I think S will really like this, especially with the beans.
Hi Lori – quinoa, squash, tomatoes and black beans sounds like a perfect combo of New World ingredients.
Emiline – seriously? I’m popping a box in the mail to you ASAP!
Catherine Wilkinson says
Karen,
Nice! I’m thinking that Smoky Lime Dressing will be lovely on some leftover chicken in the fridge that I’ve been pondering for a day or so now. Don’t have any quinoa in the house right now, but I do love to cook with it.
Ok, shredded chicken tacos…cilantro, cabbage, Karen’s Smoky Lime Dressing. Yes, that will do nicely.
Kevin says
That salad looks good. I have recently been enjoying quinoa.
michelle @ thursday night smackdown says
i’ll come organize your spice cabinet! i love crap like that. i’m am the spice cabinet master!
and that quinoa looks really good, too.
Karen says
Hey Catherine! I like the sound of that – “Karen’s Smoky Lime Dressing”.
Maybe I can stick it in a bottle and sell it!
Then I’ll come over for a taco.
Kevin, I too have recently fallen in love with quinoa. It’s nice to have new kind of grain to eat in place of the usual white rice and pasta.
Michelle! Are you the spice cabinet master? Maybe mistress, more like it. Yes, please come over. There is some quinoa salad in your future.
Patricia Scarpin says
Karen, I have never tried quinoa (don’t ask my why, because frankly I don’t know!), but you had at lime dressing. 🙂
valentina says
Ohh, how I wish I could have tasted this! And I’ve never tried quinoa… It sure looks fabulous!
AnticiPlate says
I just love quinoa!!! great recipe.
noble pig says
Well, I have never thought of making smokey quinoa. That sounds great and interesting. And I never knew there was a magazine called SAUCE. I need that!
Deborah Dowd says
I am a recent convert to quinoa, and we are using it at our house instead of rice since it has a stabilizing influence on my husband’s blood sugar (he is pre-diabetic). Your salad sounds like a delicious use of quinoa that would be great with grilled food. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find red quinoa anywhere near me!
Lore says
O love the idea of combining beans and quinoa with lime! Looks great too! Yummy and fresh.
Basil says
Hi Karen,
My first visit to your blog today and I made & ate my version of this fab recipe within 2 hours of finding you -is that a record?! I used some chopped red onion, as I had no green, butter beans and parsley(all I had) and reduced the sugar by half. It was delicious!
Dani Spies says
Mmmmmm, this combination sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try:)!
Tempered Woman says
I’ve been reticent to jump on the quinoa bandwagon. I’ve seen so many good recipes but… this is the first with black beans. You may have tipped the scales for me. 😉
Karen says
Patrica, I know what you mean. There’s something about the idea of lime that makes my mouth water. Maybe it’s that my favorite cuisines feature lime juice – Southeast Asian, Mexican, Indian….
Valentina, if you can’t find quinoa you could use just about any other grain, or just toss the dressing with salad greens and black beans.
Anticiplate, thanks, me too!
Noble Pig, give it a try. Sauce is our local foodie news-magazine. We all need one!
Deborah, you don’t need to use the red kind – any quinoa you find will be great here. Good luck…
Dr. Eric, corn sounds like a delicious addition. I’ll give it a try.
Thanks, Lore. It is pretty yummy.
Basil, that must be a record! I just visited your blog and the results look wonderful. Thanks for visiting.
Yes, Dani, do!
Glad to hear it Tempered Woman! Maybe you’ll be converted.
Lisa says
Perfect timing. This dish looks simple and delicious AND I just happen to have the red quinoa from Local Harvest waiting in my pantry for a recipe. I made quinoa and veggie soup last night. Seems like I’m starting to see quinoa everywhere!
Melissa says
This is a new favorite in our house. I added orange bell pepper and avocado for some more color. It is great with or without the additions.
Michele says
Our coworker brought this to a potluck, and it was amazing! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe… can’t wait to make it myself. Yum
John says
Made this with tempeh instead of beans. Came out great. I marinated it for an hour or so in the dressing. Also, added another chipotle for a bit more kick.
Emily says
This is such a good quinoa salad recipe. I love it SO much.