Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Packed with flavor, color, and protein, this vibrant Southwestern Quinoa Salad is the perfect make-ahead dish for healthy weekday lunches.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get around here is: “What about lunch?” You see, after Cook Once, Eat All Week (our incredibly time-saving, life-giving dinner meal prep solution) was released, you guys wanted MORE! We get it! Cook Once, Eat All Week made such an impact that you wondered if the same template would work for other meals. The answer is YES! This Southwestern Quinoa Salad + our Thai Chicken Salad were designed to be made together, all in one day, for a seriously tasty, incredibly nutritious meal prep lunch duo. (Don’t worry, the process is QUICK – here’s how you do it: Easy Meal Prep Lunch Plan.) 

This satisfying quinoa black bean salad gets its crave-able southwestern flair from a vibrant combo of bell peppers, cilantro, limes, corn, and avocado. The chicken and quinoa give it a double dose of protein that’ll keep you full and energized for hours — no more afternoon slump or mindless snacking with this as your midday meal! 

Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Salad Recipe

• Make once, have three healthy lunches for the busy week ahead
• Colorful veggies and herbs make a vibrant, flavorful dish
• Protein-packed chicken and quinoa will power you through your day 
• Quick and easy recipe takes just 30 minutes to throw together

Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here’s all you’ll need to grab to whip up this vibrant lunch salad. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.

• Quinoa – we’ll divide 2 cups of cooked quinoa evenly between our 3 salad portions. Quinoa adds healthy carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants to this meal. It’s definitely an ingredient you don’t want to skip!
• Red Bell Pepper – a diced red bell pepper adds a pop of color + crunch, but also a good dose of vitamins 
• Diced Chicken – 2 cups of diced chicken gets added to the mix too. Pro tip: buying rotisserie chicken saves SO MUCH time.
• Corn Kernels – is it even a southwestern dish without corn? You can use fresh, frozen (just thaw first), or canned for this recipe.
• Black Beans – a ½ cup of black beans brings flavor and even more protein to your lunch. If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, feel free to replace the chicken with more black beans.
• Cilantro – we’ll give the cilantro a rough chop and toss it in too. 
• Green Onion – thinly sliced green onion adds great flavor to this dish.
• Avocado – the avocado won’t go in our salad until we’re ready to eat it, but it’ll add some healthy fats to keep us satisfied.
• Lime Juice – 3 tablespoons of lime juice goes into our salad. Freshly squeezed is the best, but if you only have bottled, that’ll work too.
• Avocado Oil – a couple of tablespoons of avocado oil (sub with olive oil if needed) will help our salad to stay moist while adding a dose of healthy fat.
• Salt + Pepper – a couple pinches of salt + a pinch of pepper will get the job done. 

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations and Modifications

• Go vegetarian – swap extra black beans in for the chicken to make this dish vegetarian. 
• Swap your herbs – cilantro adds authentic Southwestern flavor to the beans and veggie medley. But if you’re not a fan of its distinctive flavor, use fresh basil or parsley instead.
• Pick your beans – likewise, black beans are traditionally the Southwestern bean of choice. But if you’d prefer, swap in cannellini, navy, or garbanzo beans instead. 

How to Make Our Southwest Quinoa Salad

Making this hearty salad is so easy: other than cooking the quinoa, it’s basically just a chopping and tossing situation. Here’s how you’ll do it.