Mexican Quinoa Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Mexican Quinoa Salad – Quinoa Salad with corn, black beans, grape tomatoes, and zucchini, then topped with a creamy avocado dressing. Great warm or cold, so it is perfect for a picnic or barbecue.

Anytime I can fit Mexican/Southwest flavors into a dish, I am going to do it! This is a Southwest Quinoa Salad that is loaded with flavor and a great dish to make for just about any time.

Avocado is one of our favorite ingredients, so quinoa salad with avocado is a must. And there it is tossed with a creamy avocado dressing that just brings it all together. So easy to make, you can make it ahead of time, and it will definitely disappear quickly.

Mexican Quinoa Salad Ingredients

• Quinoa
• Chicken Broth
• Black Beans
• Corn
• Zucchini
• Tomatoes
• Green Onions
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno
• Cumin
• Paprika

This quinoa salad is super versatile and you really can mix up what vegetables you add! This is tossed with a creamy avocado dressing to bring it all together and it adds so much flavor!

Avocado Dressing Ingredients

• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Lime Juice
• Honey
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive Oil

How To Make Mexican Quinoa Salad

1. The first step is to rinse your quinoa. You want to run it under cold water until the water is clear. Quinoa can be kind of bitter if you skip this step.
2. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the quinoa and cook as directed on the package.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine all the veggies and seasonings for the salad. Mix until it is well combined.
4. To make the dressing pulse together all of the dressing ingredients, expect the olive oil in a food processor. Scrape down the sides if necessary.
5. Once it is nice and smooth, slowly stream in the olive oil.
6. Add the cooked quinoa to the veggies, tossing to combine.
7. Pour in the dressing and stir until well coated.
8. Can be served warm or cold.

Storage

This is great served cold, so you can make ahead and just store covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve. It will last for 2-3 days in the fridge.

This Southwest Quinoa Salad is loaded with flavor and a great way to get veggies into your family with flavors they know and love already!

More Easy Side Dishes Recipes

• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Creamy Polenta
• Lemon Herb Potato Salad
• Corn Fritters
• Greek Salad
• Cranberry Apple Coleslaw

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Print

Mexican Quinoa Salad - Quinoa Salad with corn, black beans, grape tomatoes, and zucchini, then topped with a creamy avocado dressing. Great warm or cold, so it is perfect for a picnic or barbeque

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 cup uncooked Quinoa
• 1 1/4 cups Chicken Broth (or however much liquid your Quinoa calls for)
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 small zucchini , sautéed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

Creamy Avocado Dressing

• 1 avocado, pitted
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear.
2. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, and quinoa and cook as directed on the package.
3. In a large bowl combine all the veggies and seasonings for the salad.
4. In a food processor, pulse together all of the dressing ingredients, except for the olive oi.. You might need to scrape down the sides a couple times.
5. Once smooth, slowly stream in the olive oil.
6. Combine the cooked quinoa with the veggies, and then stir in the avocado dressing. Stir until well coated.
7. Can be served warm or cold.

Notes

Adapted from Bake Your Day

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 258Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 1mgSodium 459mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 8gSugar 9gProtein 7g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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