Southwestern Quinoa Salad

at a glance
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 servings
5 — Votes 3 votes

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This Southwestern Quinoa Salad is super flavorful and incredibly easy to throw together for quick, already-prepped weekday lunches! 

southwestern quinoa salad garnished with a lime wedge and cilantro in a glass bowl on a marble surface

While this salad would make an incredible dinner, our favorite way to enjoy it is for lunch! The bell pepper, corn, black beans, cilantro, lime, and avocado give the salad its crave-able southwestern flair, while the chicken and quinoa give it a punch of protein that’ll keep you full and energized for hours! No more afternoon slump or mindless snacking with this as your midday meal. 

One of the most frequently asked questions we get 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? YES! This Southwestern Quinoa Salad + our Thai Chicken Salad were designed to be made together, all in one day (don’t worry, the process is QUICK – here’s how you do it!), and result in a seriously tasty, incredibly nutritious, meal prep lunch duo!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad Ingredients

Here’s all you’ll need to grab to whip up three lunch portions of this salad!

  • Quinoa – we’ll divide 2 cups of cooked quinoa evenly between our 3 salads. 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 – we’ll dice 1 red bell pepper to add to our salad. The bell pepper not only adds a pop of color + crunch, but also a good dose of veggies! 
  • 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 frozen (just thaw first) or canned for this recipe.
  • Black Beans – a ½ cup of black beans brings flavor and some *extra* 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 – the only seasoning we need! A couple pinches of salt + a pinch of pepper will get the job done. 
two rectangular glass containers filled with southwestern quinoa salad side by side on a marble surface

How to Make Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Making this quinoa salad is SO easy, and basically just a chopping and tossing situation. Here’s how you’ll do it:

  1. Cook the Quinoa – we’ll use 1 cup dry quinoa and 1 1/2 cups of water to get our 2 cups of cooked quinoa. For the low-down on perfect, fluffy quinoa, check out click HERE.
  2. Dice the Chicken – if you’re using rotisserie chicken, dice the breast meat into ½ inch chunks. If you aren’t using rotisserie chicken, you’ll just need about 2 cups of diced chicken breast.
  3. Dice the Bell Pepper – dice the pepper into ¼ inch pieces, and…
  4. Chop the Cilantro + Green Onion – …give the cilantro a rough chop + slice the green onions!
  5. Rinse the Beans + Corn – thoroughly drain and rinse your black beans and corn (if using canned).
  6. Assemble – toss the quinoa, chicken, bell pepper, corn, black beans, cilantro, lime juice, avocado (or olive) oil, salt, and pepper together and divide equally between 3 containers. When you’re ready to eat, mix ⅓ of a diced avocado into your salad and enjoy! 

How to Store Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Keep your meal prepped salads in airtight containers (we like this same-sized glass set) in the fridge. They’ll stay good for 5 days this way! If you need a storage solution for your avocado (since you’ll only use about ⅓ of the avocado at a time), these work great to keep your already cut avocado fresh!

We hope this Southwestern Quinoa Salad ups your lunchtime game! Enjoy!

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southwestern quinoa salad garnished with a lime wedge and cilantro in a glass bowl on a marble surface

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

By: Cassy Joy Garcia
5 — Votes 3 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
This southwestern quinoa salad is the perfect make-ahead lunch with fluffy quinoa, crunchy red bell pepper, corn, black beans, and chicken!

Ingredients  

For the Quinoa:

  • 2/3 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

For the Salad:

  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 2 cups diced chicken – either from a rotisserie chicken or 1 pound of cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup black beans rinsed
  • 1/2 cup cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Soak the quinoa for 2 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly and add to a pot with the water, salt, and olive oil.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
  • Toss the quinoa, chicken, bell pepper, corn, black beans, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, olive oil salt, and pepper together in a large bowl, then portion into 3 containers.
  • Once you are ready to eat, dice up 1/3 of an avocado, then mix it into the salad and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Southwestern Quinoa Salad
Amount per Serving
Calories
568
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
27
g
42
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
16
g
Cholesterol
 
79
mg
26
%
Sodium
 
724
mg
31
%
Potassium
 
1055
mg
30
%
Carbohydrates
 
45
g
15
%
Fiber
 
11
g
46
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
39
g
78
%
Vitamin A
 
1650
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
 
65
mg
79
%
Calcium
 
66
mg
7
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Notes

  • If you’re going to eat the salad immediately, go ahead and stir in the avocado. If you are prepping it for later, don’t add the avocado until it is time to eat.
Meet the Author
Cassy Headshot

Cassy Joy Garcia

HOWDY! I’m Cassy Joy and I am just so happy you’re here. I’m the founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Nutrition Consultant here at Fed and Fit. What started as a food blog back in 2011 has evolved now into so much more.
Get to know Cassy

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Vicky says

    Vicky —  04/30/2020 At 21:57

    5 stars
    Thank you it was so good and super easy!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  05/01/2020 At 06:47

      Wahoo! SO glad you loved it, Vicky!

  2. Lauren says

    Lauren —  08/13/2021 At 07:29

    5 stars
    One of my favorite go to recipes for the summer!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  08/13/2021 At 08:55

      I’m so glad to hear that, Lauren! It’s a good one for sure!

  3. Erin says

    Erin —  08/13/2021 At 08:18

    Delicious! I chopped some cherry tomatoes and cucumber from the garden and added about 1 tsp cumin and honey to dressing. I keep sneaking bites and it’s only 10 AM 🙂

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  08/13/2021 At 08:57

      I’m so glad to hear that, Erin! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

  4. Claire Zaman says

    Claire Zaman —  12/03/2021 At 23:24

    I omitted the bellpepper (husband doesnt like them) and tossed the quinoa mixture with baby salad greens. It was delicious!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  12/07/2021 At 10:28

      I’m so glad to hear that, Claire! Thank you for sharing this with us!