This Spicy Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad is loaded with quinoa, black beans, roasted corn, and fresh cilantro, all tossed in a chipotle lime vinaigrette. It's refreshing, spicy, and perfectly tangy. Scoop it up with chips or serve as the main course!
Enjoy it as an easy lunch throughout the week, a flavorful side dish, or even the base of a loaded grain bowl.
However you serve it, this salad is one you'll keep coming back to!
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Ingredient Notes
Below are a few helpful notes on the ingredients used in this recipe.
Quinoa: Cook according to package instructions and let cool slightly before assembling the salad. Warm quinoa can wilt the herbs.
Black Beans: Canned beans work well here. Drain and rinse thoroughly to remove excess liquid before adding to the salad.
Corn: I love using pre-roasted frozen corn for more flavor. But you can use fresh or frozen corn, and easily char it in the pan while cooking the red pepper and onion.
Red Onion & Red Bell Pepper: Sauté with the corn and spices, then let cool slightly before mixing with the salad.
Fresh Cilantro: Stir in just before serving so it doesn't wilt.
Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce bring a bold, smoky flavor to the dressing. But they're pretty spicy! If you're sensitive to heat, use less, but don't skip them altogether as it's key component to the salad's delicious flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
This black bean corn salad is simple to throw together and great for meal prep.
Serve it immediately or stick it in the fridge for later!
The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Rinse ⅓ cup quinoa, then combine with ⅔ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and cool.
Step 2: Heat a pan over medium-high with a drizzle of oil. Sauté corn, red onion, and bell pepper for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin and cook 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the cooked quinoa and cooked veggies to a large bowl and let them continue to cool.
Step 4: Add all the chipotle lime dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt or spice level as needed.
Step 5: Once cooled, add black beans, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro to the quinoa mixture.
Step 6: Stir to combine.
Step 7: When you're ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Substitutions & Variations
Change up the grain, use a different bean, and make it as spicy or mild as you enjoy!
Veggies: Feel free to mix it up with whatever's in your fridge. Vegetables like zucchini, avocado, or shredded carrots would be great!
Herbs: Not a fan of cilantro? Green onions make a great substitute. While the flavor will be a bit different, it still adds a fresh flavor. But an herb is necessary to brighten up this salad.
Spices: Adjust the seasoning to your taste. Add cayenne for additional heat or skip the chili powder for a milder version.
Red Wine Vinaigrette: Lime juice adds a bright acidity, while the red wine vinaigrette brings a delicious tang to the salad. If you want less tang, you can leave this out.
Serving Ideas
This black bean corn quinoa salad is perfect for a quick snack, a base for your grain bowls, a fresh meal prep lunch idea, or a flavorful side dish!
- Scoop it up with tortilla chips and top with guacamole or diced avocado.
- Perfect with the addition of my crispy air fryer tempeh or seasoned baked tofu ground beef crumbles.
- Add some creamy vegan tofu sour cream or make this cherry tomato salsa in a food processor.
Tips & Tricks
Rinse your quinoa well to remove its natural bitterness and get a fluffier texture.
Storage
Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For the best results, keep the dressing and salad separate until you're ready to eat but honestly, it's still super tasty even if it's already mixed.
Freezing: Freezing isn't recommended. This salad is best enjoyed fresh, as the ingredients can turn mushy once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Leftover quinoa works great in this recipe. Just make sure it has cooled completely before adding it to the salad so the vegetables and herbs stay fresh.
Yes, but sautéing the corn, red onion, and bell pepper with the spices improves the taste and texture of this salad. If you skip this step, blend the spices directly into the dressing instead.
More Salad Recipes You Might Like
If you love easy salads that work well for meal prep, try these recipes next:
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Recipe
Spicy Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup Lime Juice
- 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup or agave syrup
- 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce or to preference, see note
- 2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce from can of Chipotle peppers
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Pinch of Black Pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 1 cup Cooked Quinoa from ⅓ cup dry
- 1 cup Frozen Roasted Corn or fresh
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper diced
- ½ cup diced Red Onion
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper
- 1 15 ounce can Black Beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup diced Cherry Tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse ⅓ cup dry quinoa under cold water. In a small saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa with ⅔ cup water.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit (still covered) for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
- In a pan over medium-high heat, add the roasted corn, diced red onion, and diced bell pepper with a tiny drizzle of oil. After 4-5 minutes (when they start to soften), sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon each of chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked quinoa and cooked veggies to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
- Add all the chipotle lime dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt or spice level as needed. Chipotle peppers can be quite spicy, so start small and add more to taste. Store the dressing in a jar or airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the quinoa mixture has mostly cooled, add the drained and rinsed black beans, cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro. Stir until everything is well combined.
- When you're ready to serve, pour as much vinaigrette over the salad as desired (start with a little less than half and add as needed) and toss until everything is evenly coated. For best results, store the salad and dressing separately and add the dressing to individual portions as needed.
Notes
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Kerry N says
This was excellent and easy. I used a touch more than half the dressing. Def don’t want to use it all.
Liv says
Hi Kerry, thank you for making this recipe! I added a note about the amount of dressing to use to the recipe card, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed!