This corn and black bean Mexican quinoa salad with feta is loaded with veggies, beans and hearty quinoa. Makes for a light lunch or side with dinner. Perfect to go along with those summer barbecues too.
This recipe was originally posted in August 2015 and has been updated with new pics, more recipe details and small tweaks in the recipe.
I always have cans of beans in the house. They are super tasty, super versatile, inexpensive and tasty!
This quinoa salad recipe is definitely a weekday staple for easy lunches. You’ll want to eat this ’cause it tastes so good, but it is seriously good for you!
I also always have lots of veg in the house…actually, sometimes too much. I mean, it’s me, hubby & Riley…how much food can we eat? Actually, less than I sometimes think.
Sometimes I may overbuy, especially when we make the occasionally trip to Costco. And who wants to waste food? Not me! I can’t stand having to throw food out that’s spoiled! It’s absolutely unnecessary, it’s wasteful and I just feel awful about it. Who doesn’t?
This corn and black bean quinoa salad came about one day when I had a bunch of ingredients I wanted to use up and, of course, it had to taste good. Now, I make this Mexican quinoa salad on the regular. Love it so much!
Why is this Quinoa Salad with Feta is Great!
- It has quinoa, which is loaded with protein, fibre and minerals.
- There is hearty black beans.
- It includes lots of veggies, like bell pepper and tomato
- This one is gluten free and vegetarian.
- Meal prepping? This quinoa salad is great for that! Make a batch on Sunday for easy weekday lunches.
- Can be enjoyed as a main or side dish.
- Comes together in minutes.
- Tastes scrumptious!
How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly
The base of this delicious meal prep salad is quinoa. I don’t know about you, but I certainly didn’t grow up eating quinoa. It just wasn’t a thing. These days though? I’m all about it and it’s a regularly stocked item in our pantry.
Sometimes the outside of quinoa can be bitter so it is recommended to rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 30 seconds before cooking (I do this even if the package says that it’s rinsed already). Drain and then cook. Every variety/package could vary. Typically, though, it’s a 2 to 1 ratio of water to quinoa.
Bring water to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy and cooked. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes before removing cover and fluffing with a fork.
Tips: If you want to add a little more flavour to the quinoa, cook in veggie broth instead of water. You can also add a pinch or so of salt to the pot of quinoa/water (I opted not to for this recipe, but you could totally add salt if you wish).
If you’d rather cook the quinoa in an Instant Pot, this is a great recipe for cooking quinoa (from My Wife Can Cook)!
How to Make It
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics –
- Cook quinoa and let cool. Use ⅓ cup of dried quinoa. It will roughly triple in size to give you the 1 cup cooked quinoa needed for this recipe.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and lay to one side.
- Chop veggies and cilantro. If you want to char the corn on your bbq, do that. Otherwise, just remove the kernels from the cob.
- In a large bowl stir together the cooled quinoa, veggies, cilantro and dressing.
- You can either stir in the feta cheese or top the quinoa salad with it.
- Garnish with extra cilantro if you want.
- Enjoy!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to the Girl Heart Food Newsletter!
More Tips and Variations
If you can get your hands on, use ‘unsalted’ black beans. Rinse and drain and use in recipe.
Queso fresco could be used instead of feta if you prefer.
You can grill the corn before removing kernels or simply remove the kernels and enjoy as is. I’ve made both ways and both are delicious!
Speaking of corn, if you only have frozen on hand, use that. Thaw before using. Alternatively, use drained canned corn.
Want to keep this quinoa salad straight up plant based? Simply omit the feta.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
More Easy Salad Recipes you May Enjoy
Hope you love this Mexican quinoa salad recipe as much as we do!
If you make this easy quinoa salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment below. Love hearing from you! Thank you!
Mexican Quinoa Salad with Feta
Ingredients
Corn and Black Bean Mexican Quinoa Salad with Feta
- ⅓ cup quinoa (cooked per package instructions (1 cup cooked))
- 1 ear corn , kernels removed (about ¾ cup)
- 19 ounce can unsalted black beans , rinsed & drained
- 1 bell pepper , diced (whatever colour you prefer)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro , chopped (or parsley)
- 1 chili pepper , minced
- 4 stalks green onion , chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 roma tomato , insides remove (liquidy membrane) and diced (about ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup feta cheese , crumbled (queso fresco)
Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 lime , zest & juice (about 2 tablespoons of juice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Corn and Black Bean Mexican Quinoa Salad with Feta
- Cook quinoa per package instructions. Let cool slightly. You want 1 cup of cooked quinoa for this recipe (which means about ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa and ⅔ cup water).Note: I typically cook by using 2 parts water to one part quinoa; bring to boil, reduce heat, cover & cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until tender and water is absorbed. Turn off heat and leave for about 10 minutes with cover on. Then, remove cover and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool a little.
- While quinoa is sitting with cover on after cooking, prep other ingredients. Then, combine everything in a large bowl (cooked/cooled quinoa, corn kernels, black beans, bell pepper, cilantro (or parsley), chili, green onion and tomato). Stir to combine.
- Stir in olive oil mixture/dressing.
- Top with crumbled feta or stir in through salad. Enjoy!
Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, zest and juice of lime, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper.
Notes
- If you can get your hands on, use ‘unsalted’ black beans. Rinse and drain and use in recipe.
- Queso fresco could be used instead of feta if you prefer.
- You can grill the corn before removing kernels or simply remove the kernels and enjoy as is. I’ve made both ways and both are delicious!
- Speaking of corn, if you only have frozen on hand, use that. Thaw before using. Alternatively, use drained canned corn.
- Want to keep this quinoa salad straight up plant based? Simply omit the feta.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition (estimate only)
Quinoa salads were such a big thing in a few years ago, and I decided earlier today that it’s time they made a comeback! Working on one in my kitchen today, and BOOM here’s your fabulous recipe! Looks SO tasty, Dawn! Must try soon.
Haha! Too funny! Thank you Elaine! Hope you love it 🙂
This is my fave kind of salad; I love the flavours, and that it’s perfect for meal prep and a meal in itself. Delicious as always, Dawn!
Thank you Colleen 🙂 Appreciate that!
Dawn, love this salad! It has all of my favorite flavors. I love quinoa and this is a great way to use it!
Thank you Kelly 🙂
I just made a corn and quinoa salad yesterday, but I wish I’d put feta in it! This looks delicious!! I’ll try it your way next time 😀
This is my kind of salad Dawn! I can see myself prepping this for lunches this summer! Not to mention as a side for all the grilling we are going to do!
This is my kind of salad! I love all those healthy ingredients and all that fresh flavor from the veggies. The dressing with the lime juice and smoke paprika sounds just perfect! Nicely done, Dawn!
Thank you very much, Kathy!!
I’m cracking up because we had quinoa salad for lunch today. We love them! So you know I’ve got to try this one for sure – looks SO delicious!
Lol! Such a staple, right?? Thank you Marissa! Hope you love it!
Yay for all of the colours! This is so my kind of salad, Dawn! Quinoa is definitely a staple around here, I always put it in salads! Diggin that feta too 😉 I’ll be trying this one out as soon as we get back home! XO
Woo hoo! Hope you love it, Katherine! Thanks so much! XOXO
Ahhhh! A burst of flavor! So happy you reposted! This one’s a keeper! Hope your Monday is great, my friend! xoxo
Thanks my friend! Same to you! XOXO
Dawn, this is my kind of recipe, too! I usually have most, if not all, of these ingredients right in front of me! Will be making this lovely salad – I could likely eat it every day!
Woo hoo! Thank you Laura! Hope you love it 🙂
Ooooh Dawn, this recipe is right up my alley!! I love how you could make a big batch of it at the beginning of the week and be set for lunches!! Sadly my husband doesn’t like corn (what is even wrong with him!?) but luckily that means more for me!! YUM!
Yay!!! Definitely more for you 😉 Thank you Haylie!
It doesn’t get much better than healthy, delicious AND pretty! And yes, a great way to use up those veggies. As much as we eat around here, I always seem to be worried some will go bad. Cheers! ~Valentina
Thank you very much, Valentina!! Hope you have a lovely week 🙂
Such a vibrant salad and I just looove the cumin in the dressing!. So excited about fresh corn – people here in Colorado grow some pretty amazing corn:) Pinned.
Woo hoo! Thank you Milena! I would love to try that corn 🙂
I love quinoa salads Dawn. And add veggies and black beans for heartiness and it’s a meal that I would enjoy for lunch, dinner or just plain snacking. This looks totally delicious and perfect for summer parties at the beach! Pinned and excited to try!
For sure! Thank you Mary Ann 🙂
We make a black bean salad several times each summer, and this totally reminds me of that one. However, adding the quinoa means we can turn that salad into a meal all by itself. I’m totally on board with that! This looks like a delicious summer dish, Dawn!
Totally!! Thank you David! Happy to hear it 🙂
Delicious, Dawn! Love all of these flavours and colours together. This is a gorgeous meal in itself, or a fabulous side dish 🙂
Thank you very much, Alexandra 🙂 !!
I’m so glad you reposted this because I missed it the first time around, and it’s totally the kind of food I love! I eat beans and/or quinoa pretty much every day so I’m totally trying this! And I LOVE that it has feta in it. Have a great week, Dawn!
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Kelsie!! Hope that you love it as much as we do 🙂 Have a wonderful week ahead!
Oh let’s be honest, with these ingredients what you have really made is a a Mexican superfoods salad. I love it, it’s just the type of thing I would devour! I bet if I chucked in some grilled chicken and put it in a wrap it would work too!
Lol! Thanks so much, Matt! That would be lovely too 🙂