This Quinoa and Black Bean Salad is filled with fresh ingredients and topped with a delicious cilantro-lime dressing. Make this salad for your next outdoor gathering or summer party.

Quinoa salad in a wooden bowl next to a small bowl filled with lime wedges.

This black bean salad screams summer to me. It is a light and fresh vegan dish that is perfect to enjoy on a sunny day. Quinoa is full of all the essential amino acids making this recipe a great way to get your protein in. It is the perfect side dish to bring to all the summer potlucks.

If you are a fan of quinoa salads, try Cranberry Quinoa Salad and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa next!

Reasons to Love this Salad

Done in under 30 minutes. This quinoa salad recipe takes just about 20 minutes to make and most of that time is spent waiting for the quinoa to cook.
Hearty and filling. This recipe is packed with superfoods (quinoa, avocado and black beans) making for the perfect satisfying dish.
Meal-prep friendly. This salad can easily be made ahead of time for meal prep or to bring to a party the next day.

Ingredients

Quinoa. Use your favorite quinoa (traditional white quinoa, tricolor, etc.). This is the perfect recipe to make with any leftover quinoa you have!
Black beans. Canned black beans are perfect for this salad. You can use dry beans but that will make the recipe more complicated and you will have to wait for them to soak. If you prefer white beans try cannellini bean salad.
Herbs. This recipe calls for scallions (green onions) and fresh cilantro. If you are not a fan of cilantro, you can use parsley in the vinaigrette instead.
Cayenne pepper. I like adding the cayenne into the dressing for a little kick but you can omit it if you don't want any spice.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

Use additional herbs such as parsley or chives.
Instead of black beans use chickpeas or kidney beans.
Feel free to add some feta cheese, goat cheese or cotija cheese.
Add additional vegetables such as red pepper, red onion or corn.

How to Make Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Quinoa, tomatoes, avocado, black beans and scallions in a bowl.

Step 1

Bein by prepping the ingredients, including cooking the quinoa. Next, add the salad ingredients to a bowl.

Cilantro lime salad dressing in a glass bowl.

Step 2

Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.

A large wooden bowl with handles filled with quinoa, black bean and tomato salad.

Step 3

Toss everything to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Sarah's Top Tips

Prepare the quinoa at home rather than buying pre-made. It is healthier and only takes 15 minutes to cook.
Make a double batch of the salad to enjoy it all week long.
Use fresh veggies and fresh herbs over canned, frozen or dried. This makes for a tastier salad.
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.

Quinoa and black bean salad in a bowl next to a small bowl filled with lime wedges.

Serving

Serve quinoa and black bean salad as a main dish or as a side dish with stovetop beef burgers, cast iron chicken burgers or air fryer lemon pepper chicken.

It also makes a great dip for tortilla chips alongside roasted mango habanero salsa.

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.