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Spicy corn and black bean quinoa salad in a serving bowl with tortilla chips.

Spicy Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

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!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Liv King

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

Adjust the spice to your preference. The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are super flavorful but really spicy. If you’re sensitive, start with half a small pepper or a whole small one, then add more if you like. I prefer it spicy and usually use a medium-sized pepper.
Makes around 4 larger servings or 6 side dish servings. 
Important Note about Salt: Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1:1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
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