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

Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad

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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

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Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad

Spicy Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad
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★★★★★

4.8 from 11 reviews

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?

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

24 thoughts on “Black & White Bean Quinoa Salad”

  1. I had a box of black beans and one of white that needed to be used. I also had pickled red onion and half an Anaheim pepper, and away we go!

    I cook without salt so always looking for ways to boost flavor. I added a packet of Herb-Ox no salt bouillon (vegan I think) to the quinoa water and also threw in the cut up Anaheim because, why not? I also subbed parsley for cilantro because I have the “it tastes like soap” gene.

    Always looking for easy salads that will hold up to being a dinner side and then a lunch the next day or two. This will go into my regular rotation. Thanks!

    ★★★★★

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

    ★★★★★

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  4. 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!

    ★★★★★

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  6. 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!

    ★★★★★

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

    ★★★★★

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  10. 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

  11. 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

  14. 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

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