Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Side dishes are sometimes not on my radar. But you better believe this Clean Eating Southwestern Quinoa Salad is now!

And in complete transparency this clean eating vegetarian salad was born out of panic. Ha! 

We were having a last minute dinner at our new home and I had shopped for quesadilla and topping ingredients, but completely forgot about a side dish! Lucky for me, my kitchen graciously had enough quinoa, spices, and fresh ingredients on hand to create this lovely recipe. 

Related Recipe: Chicken & Pico de Gallo Quesadillas

The best part about this healthy recipe? It’s all in one pot! You can sauté the veggies and cook the quinoa all in the same pot. I don’t know about you, but even though we have a dishwasher I hate using too many pans to create a recipe.

Ugghhh, first world problems. Sheesh. 

Anywhooo, this Southwestern Quinoa Salad is super easy to prepare and keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

I love reheating it with leftover shredded chicken and topping it with salsa. 

This gluten free side dish could easily be transformed into a main dish by topping with diced chicken or shredded beef. Or eat it as a dairy free salad recipe with guacamole and salsa on top!

Related Recipe: The BEST Guacamole E.V.E.R

If you don’t have these particular vegetables on hand, feel free to experiment and use what you do have. I think fresh cilantro would be a great addition to this salad too!

Now that I think about it, a little queso fresco crumbled on top would be just heavenly.

The colors of this dish are really quite beautiful with the tri-colored quinoa and sautéed vegetables.  It certainly made my job of photographing it quite easy. 🙂 

Without further adieu, here is the delicious and simple Clean Eating Southwestern Quinoa Salad!

Enjoy this one, my fellow friends and foodies. Adios! 

Print Recipe

Southwestern Quinoa

Clean eating has never been so easy. This simple side dish or vegetarian main dish is easy to make using both fresh vegetables and pantry ingredients. One pan recipes are the best and healthy Mexican dishes are always a hit. Add gluten free chicken for a supper recipe and top with fresh cilantro or queso fresco cheese.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: All American

Keyword: 4th of July, baked, baked beans, calico beans, casserole, cowboy beans, dairy free, gluten free, Memorial Day, summer

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 279kcal

Cost: $7.00

Equipment

• 1 large pan
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 large bowl

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups tri- colored quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 3 bouillon cubes
• 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/16 tsp cayenne powder
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• In a medium-sized pot, saute frozen corn, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion in 1 Tbsp oil for 5-7 minutes to slightly soften the veggies. Remove from pan and scoop into serving bowl.
• Add quinoa back into pot with water with bouillon cubes. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. (Cook according to directions.)
• Pour cooked quinoa into bowl with veggies. Add spices and black beans. Mix well and serve warm or at room temperature. Top with fresh cilantro or queso fresco if you desire!
• Feel free to add more seasonings if needed!
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can substitute chicken or veggie stock for the water and bouillon cubes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcal