Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad

My mom subscribes to Canadian Living magazine, and it usually includes a really good vegetarian or vegan recipe. She diligently puts the vegan (or easily made vegan) recipes aside for me, and better yet, she makes a couple of the recipes for me whenever I’m in town. She  made me this black & white bean quinoa salad for me last summer and it’s been one of my favorite recipes ever since.

Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad - Vegan & Gluten-Free

Why do I love this black & white bean quinoa salad?

  • It’s a great summer salad – The cold cucumber contrasts so well with the tangy and spicy dressing.
  • It’s got black beans in it – I have yet to try anything with black beans in it that I didn’t like.
  • It’s super healthy – As per the magazine: This salad packs not only a protein punch but also good amounts of fibre and iron. It’s not just the two types of beans that make this such a protein-dense meal, but also the addition of quinoa, which itself is jam-packed with protein. Check out my post on quinoa for more info about this super-grain!
chopped veggies & beans
olive oil & spices
whisk olive oil & spices
chopped veggies

{See my recipe binder in the background? I’m trying to post all of my favorite recipes from it on this website. So much food, so little time!}

Notes – Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad

  • I used Cannellini beans this time around but I found them to be slightly too big for this salad so try to stick to navy beans if you can find them (in case you’re interested, here’s a write-up on Cannellini beans vs. Great Northern beans vs. Navy beans). Chickpeas will also work in a pinch.
  • You can eat this right away, but like most bean salads, it’s even better after it’s been marinading in the fridge for a couple hours. Once chilled a little, it will be that much more refreshing.
  • If you’re looking to make this as a make-ahead meal, you may want to substitute the cucumber for green beans, as the cucumber may get a bit mushy after a while.
Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad - Vegan & Gluten-Free
Print

Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad

This salad packs not only a protein punch but also good amounts of fibre and iron.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 22 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad, Side
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) quinoa
  • 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) navy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup (250 mL) diced cucumbers
  • 1/4 cup (50 mL) diced red onion
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I’ve never used it and find the dish spicy enough for me, but feel free to add it if you like things hot!)
  • 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil (I use cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil)
  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
  • 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Instructions

  1. In saucepan of boiling salted 2/3 C water, cook quinoa until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse.
  2. Dressing: In large bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper.
  3. Add quinoa, black beans, navy beans, cucumber, onion, jalapeño pepper and coriander; toss to combine.

Notes

Source: Canadian Living magazine

Keywords: bean, cilantro, easy, favorite, gluten-free, high-protein, low-carb, quinoa, summer, under 30 minutes, salad, vegan

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag me — I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad - Vegan & Gluten-Free

22 thoughts on “Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad”

  1. BOMB!!! Love cilantro lime flavored dishes. The addition of chili powder & the other spices to the dressing makes it!

    Reply
  2. I literally ate this for breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one day… Then made it again the next day! SO SO good, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. I made it for a barbecue today and it was a huge success! This will go into ma favourite recipes folder. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Great salad that’s easy to make. I added more vinegar, salt, and red onion. I also added tomatoes. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Love your recipes! They taste delicious, come out just like the photo (thank you for including images) and have helped me expand my vegan cooking! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I have been borderline vegetarian for a couple years now (can’t quite seem to commit, for some reason), and I’m always looking for healthy and delicious combined! I linked to your blog on Pinterest, and I’m so glad I did. I’m bookmarking it!! On a side note…quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain. But that’s neither here nor there unless you care about specifics. Thanks for your blog!

    Reply
    • Sorry for not getting back to you sooner – I missed this comment somehow. That sucks about the higher prices. It’s pretty expensive here so I guess I’m used to it. I guess it’s worth it since it’s so good for us. Let me know if you try this recipe 🙂

      Reply
  7. Wow, this salad does look super summery!! Like you, I have yet to find anything with black beans that I don’t like. Plus, I always feel good eating them because of all the yummy nutrients!

    -Emily

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating