Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad
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Protein-packed with black beans, and quinoa, my Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad with Texas Vinaigrette is light, healthy, delicious, and nutritious!
And, the Texas Vinaigrette? Well, it’s everything and more than you want in a salad dressing!
Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad with Texas Vinaigrette
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.
What you’ll need to make Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad
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- Black beans. Rinsed and drained
- Sundried tomatoes.
- Capers.
- Quinoa. Cooked according to package instructions
- Grape or cherry tomatoes. Halved
- Feta crumbled. Or goat cheese
- Avocados. sliced
- Salad mix. Or Romaine or iceberg lettuce
- Optional ingredients: corn, green or red onion, zucchini, jalapeno
- Olive oil.
- Lime juice. Freshly squeezed
- Hot sauce.
- Cilantro. Fresh and chopped
- Chili powder.
- Salt and pepper.
Method
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 cook 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 your dinner plates or bowls. 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.
Here are more yummy recipes for you.
- Grape Salad
- Famous Potato Salad
- Pimento Cheese
- Watermelon Salad
- Cobb Salad Sandwich
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad
- Edamame Corn Tomato Salad
- Peach Caprese Salad
Black Bean Tomato Quinoa Salad with Texas Vinaigrette
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
For the Salad
- 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 2 cups quinoa cooked
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved, medley blend of various colors
- 4 ounces feta crumbled (can substitute goat cheese)
- 2 medium avocados sliced
- 8 cups salad mix Romaine, or iceburg lettuce
- 1 and ½ cup corn
- optional ingredients: green or red onion, zucchini, jalapeno
For the Texas Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped fresh
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix vinaigrette ingredients together and refrigerate. I usually add them to a canning jar, shake them until they are combined, and refrigerate.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- 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 your plates, top evenly with black bean mixture, tomatoes, corn, quinoa, feta, and avocados. Drizzle more Texas Vinaigrette over if needed, but it has strong flavors, you may want to taste it first.