This Southwest Black Bean Quinoa is the perfect Tex-Mex side dish easily prepared for serving warm or as a cold salad. Use in taco bowls or a side dish for tacos!
I first had this Southwest Black Bean Quinoa over Thanksgiving week a few years ago while I was visiting friends and family in the Midwest. My friend, Cara, introduced it to me. She told me how much she liked the flavors and I couldn't wait to try it.
There was no doubt in my mind that Ben would like it, too. I was also excited to add another healthy side dish to our collection. I served it as a warm side dish, similar to rice, and he enjoyed it. The next day, I served it as a cold salad. It was excellent.
Another way to serve this is as a bed to slices of grilled chicken with fruit on the side. This makes for a very healthy lunch or dinner, and you feel really good afterwards. Although, without the chicken, you can also enjoy this as a vegetarian meal. Lately, however, we have enjoyed as a base for taco bowls (or as a side to tacos) with my favorite Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa. This combination is a good one to share as a meal for new moms, too!
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, and saute until lightly browned. Mix in the garlic and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the quinoa, then pour in the vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the frozen corn and continue to simmer about 5 more minutes, until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans and cilantro. Serve warm or cold.
Bev says
This is awesome! Now I have a LOT leftover and was wondering...will thes freeze
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Bev,
I haven't tried, but if you freeze it with success please come back and let us know! Thanks!
Mary Anne says
Hi there! This looks interesting, but 10 servings for one person seems like a lot. Is this easy to reduce ingredient levels in half?
Nikki Gladd says
I haven't tried, but it might be tricky to cut exactly in half when cooking quinoa. Make the big batch and eat during the week! 🙂
Amber says
I make this dish but omit red pepper and replace with zucchini and a can of roasted tomatoes. Delicious!!!
Kacey Sappington says
Hello,
I just moved to Australia and cannot find black beans anywhere! Apparently they are nonexistent out here! Is there any good substitute for them?
Thanks,
Kacey
Nikki says
Wow, that's crazy! Maybe try black-eyed peas?
Anonymous says
Sometimes they are called turtle beans
Geni says
I am printing this out as I write this for a barbecue I am headed to tonight. Thanks for sharing htis!
Pams says
I thought I posted a comment, but I do not see it... Anyway, this looks absolutely fabulous. I adore black beans. And I adore anything with cilantro in it. It is making me hungry just looking at that photo!
Nikki says
Hi Pam! The comments do not appear until I approve them. Unfortunately, I had a busy day today so it took me a little longer to moderate the comments. Thanks for your feedback! Hope you give the recipe a try and enjoy it! 🙂
Pam says
Oh my goodness, this looks unbelievably good. I adore black beans, and the cumin and cayenne, with my all-time-favorite cilantro, make my mouth just water.
F Ellis says
This looks really good - going to try it this week!
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
I love this!!! Quinoa is my new favorite thing. Plus you really can't go wrong with southwestern flavors! 🙂
Sue Gladd says
This is coming into my kitchen!
Jen @ BeantownBaker.com says
I make a very similar recipe and we love it too! Quinoa is so great - I just had some today for lunch in fact.
Amy (Sing For Your Supper) says
Mmmm! I looooove quinoa but haven't tried it with Southwest flavors before- I bet this is delicious! Great idea!
Sarah says
That looks tasty. I love quinoa and black beans together.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Yummy! That looks great. I have a similar recipe that has a lime juice dressing. So good 🙂
Nikki says
Oooh, Heidi! I think lime juice would be a perfect addition to this! Thanks! 🙂