Southwest Quinoa Salad

5 from 61 votes

Made with roasted sweet potatoes, corn and black beans, this Southwest quinoa salad is vegan and gluten free, and hearty with 18g protein/serving

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Loaded with fresh and healthy ingredients, this vegan Southwest quinoa salad is all kinds of delicious. Made with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans and avocado, it’s fresh, zingy and full of flavor.

Southwest quinoa salad in a large bowl
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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Olive oil: Used for roasting the potatoes and also to dress the salad. Feel free to substitute with avocado oil.
  • Quinoa: Use tri-color quinoa for this recipe for extra, which is a mix of white, black and red quinoa. It has a great mix of textures and flavors. You can use also use white quinoa.
  • Sweet potatoes: Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, season and roast them. Roasting really brings out the natural sweet flavor.
  • Black Beans: Drain and rinse the beans well before using. Black beans work well in this recipe, but you can switch out to red kidney beans.
  • Corn: You can use frozen, canned or fresh corn off the kernels for this salad.
  • Vegetables: Bell pepper, red onions and avocado.
  • Lime juice: No Southwest salad is complete without lime juice. Use fresh rather than bottled for the best flavor.
  • Seasonings: Salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper and fresh cilantro.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to make southwest quinoa salad

Cook the sweet potatoes

  • Peel and chop the potatoes, season and place on a lined baking sheet.
  • Roast until golden brown.
2 image collage of sweet potatoes before and after baking

Cook quinoa and assemble the salad

  • Simmer the quinoa until cooked. Let sit and fluff.
  • Add all of the salad ingredients to the quinoa.
  • Combine and season to taste.
3 image collage of assembling the salad, first with the quinoa, then the vegetables and the tossing everything together

Tips for making the salad recipe

  1. Be sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking. Quinoa has a natural casing that can taste bitter and soapy. Rinse it in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
  2. Toast you quinoa before adding the liquid. This helps to bring out the natural nutty flavors for a really delicious dish.
  3. Dice the sweet potato into small cubes. This will cut down on cooking time. Cut them into similar sizes so that they cook evenly.
  4. Add in some shredded chicken or chickpeas for a fuller meal. This Southwest quinoa salad is filling as it is with 28g of protein, but you can easily add in some extra protein if you like.

Frequently asked questions

Do you serve it warm or cold?

This quinoa salad is delicious served as soon as you’ve made it so that the quinoa and sweet potatoes are still warm, or, you can make it ahead of time and serve chilled.

How long does it keep?

If you want to make this more than a day or two ahead of time, it’s best to leave the avocado out, as this will start to brown. Without the avocado, it will keep well covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What do you serve it with?

You can easily enjoy this Southwest quinoa salad as it is as a lunch, or spoon it over some fresh greens like spinach, lettuce or arugula. It makes a great side too to accompany grilled chicken or salmon.

Close up shot of Southwest quinoa salad with avocado next to it

This Southwest quinoa salad is so easy to make and bursting with fresh flavors. It makes for a great vegan main dish, or a delicious accompaniment to a main meal. However you serve it, you’re going to love it.

More salads to try:

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Southwest Quinoa Salad

Made with roasted sweet potatoes, corn and black beans, this Southwest quinoa salad is vegan and gluten free, and hearty with 18g protein/serving
5 from 61 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Salad
Calories 628
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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Video

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ½ tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 cup uncooked tri-color quinoa rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (10 ounce) bag frozen corn thawed
  • 1 bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • ¼ red onion finely chopped
  • 1 avocado pitted and chopped
  • 1 lime zested and juiced
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Roast sweet potatoes

  • Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Arrange on prepared sheet and roast until golden brown, 25-30 minutes, mixing potatoes halfway through.

Cook quinoa

  • Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a medium save pot over medium high heat. Add quinoa and toast until fragrant, 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 ¾ cup water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and reduce to a gentle simmer and cover.
  • Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat (while keeping the pot covered) and let stand for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff and keep warm.

Assemble Salad

  • To pot of cooked quinoa, add roasted sweet potatoes, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, beans, corn, pepper, red onion, avocado, lime juice, zest, and fresh cilantro.
  • Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Mix and serve immediately or let cool and serve chilled.

Notes

Storage: Store covered in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Without avocado, it will keep well for up to 4.

Nutrition

Calories: 628kcal, Carbohydrates: 93g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Sodium: 865mg, Potassium: 1518mg, Fiber: 21g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 17283IU, Vitamin C: 60mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Salad

5 from 61 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Christy says:

    Great flavor and good way to get a lot of veggies. We ate this warm the day of and as a cold leftover. Both were very tasty. (I served the avocado on the side.)

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay, so happy you liked it both warm and cold! And avocado on the side is perfect. Thanks, Christy!

  2. Sajida says:

    Looks good, I’ll have to try it soon. In the description you state 28gm of protein per serving but the nutrition facts state 18gm. Is the 28gm for a different serving size?

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Hi Sajida, thank you so much for pointing out this mistake! The nutrition facts are correct, it is 18 grams per serving. I updated the description to show the correct amount.

  3. Susan says:

    Delicious, colorful, and so healthy! I will be doubling this recipe next time. Thank you for a great vegetarian & GF dish!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! So happy you liked it, Susan!!

  4. Sally Frenette says:

    This is delicious!

    1. Yumna says:

      Thank you so much!

  5. Cheri Moore says:

    Hands down, this is one of the tastiest salads I’ve had in a very long time and my husband is in total agreement as well! Thank you Yumna!

  6. Margot says:

    This quinoa salad looks wonderful. Is the 829 calories per serving? Or is that the entire recipe?

    Thanks!

    1. Yumna says:

      Hi there, thanks for flagging this I noticed the nutrition facts were a bit off so I adjusted them to properly reflect the recipe. That said, the listing is for one serving. Hope this helps!

  7. Annie says:

    Sooooo good!

    1. Yumna says:

      So happy you enjoyed it!

  8. Toni O says:

    This was so good! And so easy to make, will be a new go to for me, might add salmon next time 🙂

    1. Yumna says:

      Yum, sounds like a great idea!

  9. Thelma says:

    I have been so excited to try this and it did not disappoint! I did not stray from the recipe at all, except that I forgot to get cilantro at the farmers market, so didn’t add that. But what a delicious, healthy and FILLING salad! Perfect for vegetarians like me. 😁
    Some grilled lime chicken or shrimp might be a nice add for meat eaters, but not necessary, as this was perfect as written!
    Super excited to have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow, and I’m also freezing a few portions (minus the avocado) …hopefully it thaws out well?

  10. Mae says:

    Omg tried this for today’s lunch and it was sooo good! I didn’t have quinoa so I skipped that but it still turned out great! I also used red beans and purple sweet potatoes because that’s what I had. This won’t be the last time I’m making it. Thanks, Yumna!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I am so glad you enjoyed it, Mae! Great idea to use red beans and purple potatoes I bet that ways so good!

  11. Melanie says:

    Your recipe says to use sweet potatoes but the pictures and videos look like you used yams.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      These are sweet potatoes, but I’m sure yams could work in this recipe too!

  12. Trinity Miller says:

    So refreshing and flavorful! My husband and I loved the combinations of flavors and the crunch of the bell pepper with the sweet creaminess of the roasted sweet potatoes. We can’t wait to eat the leftovers. I’ll definitely be making this one again!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear. Hope you continue to enjoy!

  13. Cristina says:

    Absolutely amazing. I made it as a breakfast bowl instead and kept all the ingredients hot. I topped it with some scrambled eggs and a bit of salsa. Super super good.

  14. Victoria says:

    Sooooo good and very filling!! Thank you .

  15. Alli says:

    Best dinner ever! I’ve had this saved for a long time and finally made! Definitely adding my my weekly dinners!!!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      So glad you finally made it and loved it! Yay!!

  16. Thuy says:

    Normally it’s hard to ask my son to eat sweet potatoes, but this time, he ate the roast sweet potatoes and the rest of the Southwest quinoa salad happily. Thank you, Yumna!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      That’s incredible! Love that he enjoyed it all!

  17. Noreen says:

    Omg I broke my fast with this salad and it was perfect ! I followed the recipe and squeezed some more lime. My whole family enjoyed it. Very refreshing and filling ! Thank you Yumna!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I’m so happy to hear that! Lime really is a must in this recipe! Yay!!