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Home » Recipes » Salads

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Published: Feb 24, 2023 by Kate Hackworthy · 10 Comments

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Bowl of salad with text: How to make mexican quinoa salad.
Bowl of salad and text: Mexican Quinoa Salad.

This Mexican Quinoa Salad is healthy and bursting with great flavor. The hearty and healthy dish combines quinoa, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and Mexican spices, topped with avocado and lime. A great vegan main course, or healthy side dish.

Table with a bowl of mexican quinoa salad topped with slices of avocado.
Mexican Quinoa Salad.

Ready to tantalize your taste buds? Try this delicious Mexican Quinoa Salad recipe!

This hearty and healthy dish combines quinoa, peppers, tomatoes, corn and onions in a flavorful mixture of Mexican spices.

Perfect as a side dish or light meal, it's an easy and nutritious way to experience the flavors of Mexico.

We love that this salad is rich and filling without being heavy, you're sure to love this tasty and filling dinner option!

For a Mexican dinner, you could serve it up with Mini Mexican Street Corn (Elote), Mexican Bean Soup or Vegan Fajitas with Mushrooms.

Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Variations
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • FAQ
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • This Mexican Quinoa Salad is full of nutritious ingredients like quinoa, peppers, tomatoes, and onions.
  • Perfect for a meal on its own or as a side dish.
  • A flavorful and delicious way to enjoy the flavors of Mexico.
  • Quick and easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.
  • A balanced meal with protein, fiber, and healthy fats in one dish.
  • Rich and filling without being heavy.
  • A great way to get more vegetables into your diet.
  • It's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free.

Ingredients

Ingredients on a table.
  • Quinoa - Quinoa is a gluten-free, high-protein grain native to South America.
  • Bell Pepper - I use red, but you can use yellow, orange or green if you prefer.
  • Corn - Use fresh corn off the cob, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained).
  • Onion - I prefer red onion in this dish, but you can substitute yellow onion or shallots.
  • Tomatoes - fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
  • Vegetable broth - to flavor the quinoa as it cooks.
  • Oil - To sautee the onion and peppers. Use olive oil, canola or your favorite cooking oil.
  • Spices: Garlic Powder, Cayenne, Cumin, Oregano, Salt, and Pepper - To add Mexican flavors to the salad. You can substitute for 1 ½ teaspoons of Cajun Spice, Taco Seasoning, or Mexican Spice blend.
  • To serve: Avocado, Limes, Cilantro or Parsley.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Follow this step-by-step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.

Dice the onion and bell pepper. Chop the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the diced onion and and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent, but not browned.

Pan of quinoa and vegetables.

Add the uncooked quinoa, diced bell pepper, corn, and chopped tomatoes to the pan, then stir in the salt, pepper and spices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Cooking quinoa salad.

Stir in the vegetable broth, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with the lid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked and soft. If the liquid boils away then add a little more.

Cooked mexican quinoa.

Serve warm or cold topped with slices of avocado, fresh cilantro or parsley, and lime wedges.

Table with a bowl of mexican quinoa salad topped with slices of avocado.

Variations

  • Make it faster with premixed Mexican spices, like Taco Seasoning, Fajita Seasoning, or Mexican Spice Blend.
  • Add in a drained can of black beans or kidney beans for more hearty protein.
  • Swap the garlic powder for 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped and cooked for 1 minute with the onions when they're cooked.
  • Serve it topped with some salsa or if you like it hot, then some homemade Xnipec - Habanero Salsa.

Serving Suggestions

Mexican Quinoa Salad is great served hot or cold on its own as a vegan main dish, or as a side dish. But there are also other ways you can enjoy it!

  • Serve in a Tortilla Bowl.
  • Enjoy in a taco along with some Refried Beans.
  • Serve topped with Crock Pot Black Beans.
  • Use as a filling for stuffed peppers.

Storage

Store: Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don't add the avocado until you're ready to serve.

Top tip

You can make the Mexican quinoa ahead of time, but don't add the avocado until you're ready to serve it, otherwise it will go mushy and brown.

FAQ

How do you make quinoa taste good?

Quinoa on its own doesn't have a lot of flavor. But it's a perfect vehicle for your favorite spices and add-ins. This Mexican quinoa salad is full of bold Mexican spices and vegetables like corn and bell peppers, to make it pack a flavor punch.

Close up of quinoa salad in a bowl.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you love this recipe, please leave a five-star rating and review in the comments below! And if you make any modifications, let us know how it went so that we can all benefit from your experience. Happy cooking!

📖 Recipe

Slices of avocado on a bowl of Mexican quinoa salad.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
Mexican Quinoa Salad is a hearty and healthy dish with quinoa, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and Mexican spices, topped with avocado and lime.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 182 kcal

Equipment

  • Pot

Ingredients
 

  • 1 red onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced
  • ½ cup corn
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne or more to taste
  • 1 cup vegetable broth

To serve:

  • 1 avocado sliced
  • Cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Dice the onion and bell pepper. Chop the tomatoes.
  • Heat the oil in a pot over a medium heat. Add the diced onion and and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent, but not browned.
  • Add the uncooked quinoa, diced bell pepper, corn, and chopped tomatoes to the pan, then stir in the salt, pepper and spices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
  • Stir in the vegetable broth, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with the lid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked and soft. If the liquid boils away then add a little more.
  • Serve warm or cold topped with slices of avocado, fresh cilantro or parsley, and lime wedges.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 50mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1517IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

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Comments

    5 from 9 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. JC

    April 18, 2023 at 3:54 am

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. As first I thought there were too many ingredients but it wasn't. It was very easy to make and was delicious. I am a new vegan and this recipe will go in my rotation of recipes to make several times a month. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Ned

    March 20, 2023 at 3:42 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! Talk about amazing flavor! Thank you for an awesome easy recipe! Can't wait to make it again!

    Reply
  3. Beth Sachs

    March 02, 2023 at 3:51 pm

    5 stars
    Such a versatile Mexican side dish. It went really well with veggie fajitas!

    Reply
  4. Kerri

    February 28, 2023 at 4:11 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! I love quinoa so this was perfect for my family. .Served it as a side dish with chicken enchiliadas.

    Reply
  5. Naseema

    February 27, 2023 at 4:20 pm

    How much of broth should i use

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 28, 2023 at 2:11 pm

      Hi, it's 1 cup of broth. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  6. KAY VICKERS

    February 27, 2023 at 1:25 am

    you do not mention the broth in the ingredients list.
    how much do we need?

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 28, 2023 at 2:13 pm

      Sorry about that! It's 1 cup. I've amended the recipe.

      Reply
  7. imsen

    February 25, 2023 at 7:50 am

    5 stars
    i was looking for a quinoa recipe! and I'm glad I've found yours! thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  8. Dana Sandonato

    February 24, 2023 at 3:18 pm

    5 stars
    Love how flavorful this salad is! Perfect to have in the fridge for lunch or a little snack.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. Here you'll find vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes celebrating vegetables, from dinner to dessert! If you love vegetables, you've come to the right place. About Me

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