This Southwest Quinoa Salad comes together in just 30 minutes and is topped off with a delicious chilli lime dressing for a healthy gluten-free salad you won’t be able to get enough of!

Southwest quinoa salad in a white bowl with a wooden spoon in it

A healthy Southwest salad

This Southwest Quinoa Salad recipe is healthier than your average Southwest salad and features good-for-you ingredients like avocado, mango and black beans.

Many Southwest salads are loaded with cheese and salad dressings made with lots of creamy mayonnaise or sour cream, but this quinoa salad is dairy-free and gets topped off with a fresh and light chilli lime dressing.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This salad is naturally vegan, gluten-free and healthy.
  • This recipe comes together in just 30 minutes.
  • You can enjoy this salad as a side, appetizer, or main and add any protein you like on top to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients you’ll need

Salad

  • Quinoa: the star ingredient. You can use any colour quinoa
  • Black beans: I use canned, dried work too.
  • Red pepper: or any colour bell pepper.
  • Jalapeno pepper: for a little heat
  • Mango: make sure to use a ripe one for sweetness!
  • Corn: fresh or canned both work
  • Red onion: for a sharp bite
  • Avocado: to add some creaminess
  • Almonds: slivered and toasted for some crunch
  • Cilantro: to give the salad some freshness.

Dressing

  • Olive oil: The base of the dressing. Any neutral oil will work.
  • Lime juice: the acid in the dressing.
  • Honey: balances the flavour of the dressing with some sweetness.
  • Dijon mustard: Helps bind everything together
  • Chilli powder: for flavour
  • Cumin: for flavour
  • Salt: for flavour.

How to make this southwest salad

Prep all the individual ingredients (Cook the quinoa, cut the veggies…etc.) and then add them all to a large mixing bowl.

A large mixing bowl with quinoa, black beans, corn, avocado, jalapeno, red onions, mango, almonds, red pepper and cilantro in it

Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated.

Salad dressing being poured into a bowl of quinoa salad

Give the salad a taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

A bowl of southwest quinoa salad with two small bowls of salad dressing and toasted almonds on the side

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

  • For even more flavour, try cooking the quinoa in broth. This will infuse the quinoa with more taste.
  • Remove the seeds from the jalapeno if you don’t want too much heat. The seeds are the spiciest part.
  • If making this recipe ahead of time or planning on storing it in the fridge, leave out the avocado and add in only when you want to eat to prevent browning. Also only dress the salad when it’s time to serve.

More quinoa recipes to try

A bowl of southwest quinoa salad with a linen napkin on the side

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A large mixing bowl with quinoa, black beans, corn, avocado, jalapeno, red onions, mango, almonds, red pepper and cilantro in it

Southwest Quinoa Salad

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  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer, Side
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is loaded with veggies, mangos and a delicious Southwest chilli lime dressing!

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

  • 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
  • 1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off (or 1/2 cup canned corn)
  • 1/4 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 avocado, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 1 small handful chopped cilantro
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Chilli lime dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions, let cool completely.
  2. Add the quinoa and the rest of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
  3. To make the dressing, mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jar.
  4. Pour into the salad and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

For even more flavour, try cooking the quinoa in broth. This will infuse the quinoa with more taste.

Remove the seeds from the jalapeno if you don’t want too much heat. The seeds are the spiciest part.

If making this recipe ahead of time or planning on storing it in the fridge, leave out the avocado and add in only when you want to eat to prevent browning. Also only dress the salad when it’s time to serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8th recipe
  • Calories: 280
  • Sugar: 8g
  • Fat: 14g
  • Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Fiber: 6.6g
  • Protein: 8g