Protein packed with super foods, black beans and quinoa, my Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad
with Texas Vinaigrette is light, healthy, delicious and nutritious!
With all the beautiful and healthy produce available right now, I’m trying to focus on farm to table foods more this summer. Plus, I’m trying to use the stove and oven as little as possible.
This salad is extremely versatile. Add any combo of vegetables that are in-season and you like. Fresh corn, sautéed zucchini or caramelized onions would make a tasty addition. Although I chose not to put meat in mine, it would be fantastic with grilled chicken. I would use the 1/2 cup Texas vinaigrette as a marinade for the chicken in that case.
I have also served this salad with the black beans and quinoa hot, but it’s equally tasty chilled.
First you’ll want to mix the vinaigrette and put it in the refrigerator to chill. If you’re using the vinaigrette for a chicken marinade go ahead and double the recipe and use half of it on your chicken; refrigerate the chicken and the vinaigrette and move to cooking the quinoa.
I followed the package directions to cook the quinoa except I like it cooked 3 to 4 minutes longer than the directions call for.
Now, you just need to assemble the salad. Lay a bed of lettuce on each of four dinner plates. Arrange your salad however you want or just toss the ingredients randomly on top. I made a pretty little presentation so you can see all the ingredients.
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 4 ounces feta crumbled (can substitute goat cheese)
- 2 avocados sliced
- 8 cups salad mix Romaine, or iceburg lettuce
- optional ingredients: corn green or red onion, zucchini, jalapenoTexas Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Mix vinaigrette ingredients together and refrigerate.
- Cook quinoa
- Mix black beans, sundried tomatoes and capers together with 3 tablespoons Texas Vinaigrette. If I'm serving the salad with warm quinoa I warm this mixture in microwave.
- Arrange salad: Add a bed of lettuce to 4 plates, top with 1/4 of each black bean mixture, tomatoes, quinoa, feta, and avocados. Drizzle more Texas Vinaigrette over if needed, but it has strong flavors, you may want to taste first.
- Enjoy!
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Melissa says
Found this on pinterest and it looked healthy and delicious. My husband and I both LOVED it!!! Next time I’ll probably leave out the capers and maybe the sundried tomatoes (although they were ok) but that’s just a personal preference. We added some grilled chicken to it and had it again the next day. My kids probably won’t eat this altogether but I can make it and they will eat several of the ingredients separate. Will definitely be making this again!
Paula says
Thanks for letting me know, Melissa. I have to do the same for my boys, but I feel like it’s a win if we can all eat a couple of the same things. 🙂 My husband isn’t fond of sundried tomatoes either, I can eat a jar full though. I try to sneak them in but he usually picks most of them out. I’m glad y’all liked it.