Quinoa and black bean salad comes together in about 15 minutes and requires zero cooking beyond the quinoa. Toss everything in a bowl, drizzle on a punchy lime vinaigrette, and you've got a fresh, satisfying meal that works for lunch, dinner, or anything in between.
This black bean salad screams summer to me. It is the perfect side dish to bring to all the summer potlucks. Quinoa salads often get soggy by day two, losing that bright lime-cilantro flavor that makes them worth making in the first place. This version solves that by keeping the dressing separate until you serve it, allowing it to stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge. Make the salad on Sunday and keep the lime-cilantro vinaigrette in a jar, then toss them together just before eating for a crisp, vegan main that tastes just as good on Wednesday as on day one. If you love make-ahead meals, my roasted sweet potato salad with quinoa is another one that belongs in your regular rotation.
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Ingredients
- Quinoa. Make sure it's fully cooled before adding the dressing as warm quinoa will absorb the vinaigrette too fast and turn it into mush. You can cook it ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days, which makes this recipe even faster to pull together.
- Black beans. Canned black beans work great here, just drain and rinse them well to prevent the salad from becoming watery or heavy. They add a creamy, hearty texture that makes this salad actually filling.
- Avocado. Dice the avocado right before serving if possible so it stays bright and creamy. If you're making this ahead for meal prep, you can add the avocado fresh each day instead of tossing it in with everything else.
- Lime. Fresh lime juice makes a real difference in the vinaigrette.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Step 1
Begin by prepping the ingredients, including cooking the quinoa. Next, add the salad ingredients to a bowl.
Step 2
In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and chopped cilantro. Whisk or shake until fully combined.
Step 3
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss everything together until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve right away or let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the quinoa soaks up the dressing.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Cool the quinoa completely before tossing. Hot or even warm quinoa soaks up dressing too fast, and the salad can end up heavy and a little gummy. Spread it out on a baking sheet or just let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes after cooking.
- Add avocado last if making ahead. Avocado turns brown fast once it's cut. If you're prepping this for the week, stir the avocado in right before eating. Everything else holds up really well for several days in the fridge. My cannellini bean salad uses the same meal prep approach - build the base ahead and add the delicate ingredients right before serving.
- Let it marinate for a few minutes. This salad is good right away, but even better after 10-15 minutes. The quinoa absorbs the lime vinaigrette and the flavors settle together. If you have time, make it 30 minutes before serving and just give it a quick toss before eating.
Serving
Serve quinoa and black bean salad as a side with grilled chicken breasts or fish or eat it straight from a bowl for lunch.
Storage Tips
This quinoa black bean salad will stay in the fridge for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container. Feel free to freshen it up with additional herbs and lime juice before enjoying it again.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
To make this ahead of time, I recommend prepping all the salad ingredients and adding them to a large bowl. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to eat. In a separate bowl or jar, make the vinaigrette and keep it in the fridge. When you are ready to serve the salad, pour the dressing on top and toss to combine.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
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See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 avocado, diced
- ¼ cup scallions (green onions), chopped
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, avocado and scallions.3 cups cooked quinoa, 1 can black beans, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 avocado, ¼ cup scallions (green onions)
- In a smaller bowl or jar, mix together the vinaigrette ingredients.¼ cup olive oil, 1 lime, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, 2 tablespoons cilantro
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss everything to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Cool quinoa fully before adding dressing or the salad will turn mushy.
- Add avocado fresh if making ahead to prevent browning.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days without the avocado.
- Adjust cayenne to your heat preference.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
- Cutting board
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