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Healthy Quinoa Salad

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Healthy Quinoa Salad with black beans, jalapenos, bell peppers with a touch of spice, and a ton of flavor. Make ahead for a great lunch or dinner! 

quinoa salad with a chicken breast on a white plate
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This is a great make-ahead lunch or dinner and is perfect for …. right now. I love this salad, it is GREAT to have in the fridge for dinner when you get home after work!

It has a bit of a kick to it, thanks to the fresh jalapenos, but if you can’t handle that – just leave it out, or reduce the amount.

I personally like a little heat, but like to still have feeling in my taste buds  – I do go easy on the jalapeno. If you can handle it – add more!

I make a batch of this on the weekend, and eat it over the next few days. The flavors improve in the days after it was made, making this a winner for me! Healthy quinoa is SUPER filling, too.

Throwing a container of this in my bag for work, means I’ve got a healthy and yummy lunch that keeps me full and satisfied much longer than a burger and fries!

This is a great recipe to make your own. You can use this as a side dish, or make it a main. We add chicken to ours but you totally don’t have to.

Why this recipe works:

  • HEALTHY. Quinoa is a super food, and add black beans and veggies? It’s a toal winner!
  • MAKE AHEAD. Make this on the weekend and eat it all week long!
  • EASY. You really need a culinary degree to make this recipe (or any recipe on this site)
quinoa salad with a chicken breast on a white plate and a red napkin

Kylee’s FAQs & Notes

  • Is quinoa salad healthy?
    • Yes! Quinoa and black beans are AWESOME super foods, and we then add bell peppers, arugula, onion etc. Add some cherry tomatoes and green onions if you really want to round it out!
  • How do I store this? How long does this last in the fridge?
    • I keep this quinoa salad recipe in the refrigerator, in a well covered dish for up to 5 days.
  • PREPPING:
    • Rinse the quinoa in a sieve until the water runs clear before cooking
    • Mince the garlic and the jalapeno very small. Dice the onion, and bell peppers in similar sizes, about the size of a pea.

Ingredients:

Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!

  • QUINOA – I use a rainbow quinoa in this recipe, but plain will do just fine. Check out more info on how to cook quinoa. It will take about 15 minutes to cook.
  • BLACK BEANS
  • VEGETABLE STOCK you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock – depending on your dietary needs!
  • BELL PEPPERS – we use both yellow and red peppers – because they’re so pretty! red peppers are sweeter, and balance the flavor of the spicy jalapeno.
  • ARUGULA, CILANTRO, RED ONION, JALAPENO, GARLIC
  • OLIVE OIL
  • LIME JUICE – I use lime juice as the acid in the dressing, but red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar are great substitutes
  • SALT AND PEPPER, CUMIN, GROUND CORIANDER
ingredients laid out on a white board and labeled

How to make this recipe:

Full, printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe card!

Make the dressing

  1. Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Cook the quinoa

  1. Heat the broth into a small saucepan until boiling, add rinsed quinoa and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the salad

  1. In a large bowl, add the cooled quinoa, beans, arugula, bell peppers, cilantro, onion and jalapeno (if using).
  2. Pour the dressing over the top, and mix well until fully combined.
  3. Set aside in the refrigerator until serving time.
  4. Devour. 
quinoa salad in a white bowl with a lime

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5 from 8 votes
quinoa salad with a chicken breast on a white plate

Super Healthy Quinoa Salad

Healthy Quinoa Salad with black beans, jalapenos, bell peppers with a touch of spice, and a ton of flavor. Make ahead for a great lunch or dinner! 

Suggested Equipment

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total : 30 minutes
yield: 4

Ingredients

For salad:

  • 1/2 cup quinoa rinsed
  • 1 cup vegetable stock can sub chicken stock
  • 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1 cup red/yellow bell peppers diced
  • 1 cup cilantro washed and rough chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion diced
  • 2 tsp jalapeno diced (optional)

For dressing:

Instructions

Cook the quinoa

  • Heat the broth into a small saucepan until boiling, add quinoa and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Make the dressing

  • Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Assemble the salad

  • Add cooled quinoa, beans, arugula, bell peppers, cilantro, onion and jalapeno (if using).
  • Pour the dressing over the top, and mix well until fully combined.
  • Set aside in the refrigerator until serving time, or …
  • Devour. 

Tips & Notes:

QUINOA – I use a rainbow quinoa in this recipe, but plain will do just fine. Check out moreinfo on how to cook quinoa.
PREPPING:
Mince the garlic and the jalapeno very small. Dice the onion, and bell peppers in similar sizes, about the size of a pea.
Author: Kylee Cooks
Course:Dinner, Side
Cuisine:Southwestern
Did You Make This?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on social @kyleecooks and hashtag #kyleecooks for a chance to be featured!

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About Kylee

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Read More

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Comments

  2. Swathi says

    You made a perfect colorful and healthy black bean salad. I like black bean never thought of adding quinoa to it. with that chicken it is perfect simple meal.

    Reply

  4. Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says

    This recipe has a little bit of everything I like. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and quinoa are some of my summers must have ingredients. These photos are gorgeous and it sounds like something a 5-star restaurant would serve, yum!

    Reply

  5. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    I love all the colors in the nutritious salad. The beans add extra protein and fiber and the peppers are so good for you plus add the eye appeal. This would be a great alternative to pasta salad. So yummy and good for you.

    Reply

  6. Veena Azmanov says

    This is so colorful and pretty! I love black beans but my kids are still getting use to the idea of quinoa. So this might work great… you know mix it with their favorite black beans. Yum. !

    Reply

  7. Molly Kumar says

    This is totally my kind of recipe – healthy, colorful and so easy to make. I’d definitely give this a try soon and maybe add some protein to serve as brunch.

    Reply

  8. Pam says

    This sounds like the perfect recipe for summer. I love black bean salads and adding the quinoa must take it to a whole new level.

    Reply