Quinoa Salad with Avocado Dressing and Pinto Beans
Posted: 04/29/2016
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This quinoa salad with avocado dressing, pinto beans, red bell pepper, and more is a hearty and filling salad that stores great in the fridge – it’s perfect for lunches!
About This Quinoa Salad
- Keeps well: Simple and flavorful, this quinoa salad with avocado dressing keeps great in the fridge
- Filling: This salad will keep you full for hours. Quinoa brings its own punch of protein, as do the pinto beans.
- Easy to prep ahead: I like to keep some grains cooked and frozen to make salad or soup prep SUPER simple. It’s unbelievably easy to cook and freeze quinoa – if I’m cooking quinoa for a recipe, I almost always cook the entire bag and freeze what I don’t need. It’s a great way to save time in the kitchen. If you do the same, this recipe is even easier to make!
Make it your own
- Extra greens: I like this salad as is, but it is also great served on top of some fresh greens for extra crunch.
- Switch up the veggies: Use different vegetables if you have them. If you like cilantro, that would be great sprinkled on top of this salad. If you like spice, add some chopped jalapeño peppers.
- Add protein: To add extra protein, add some cooked chicken breast or cheese.
- Switch up the dressing: Use your favorite bottled dressing or a different dressing recipe, if you like. Try honey mustard vinaigrette instead of the avocado lime dressing this salad uses.
More Quinoa Recipes
If you love quinoa, don’t miss these recipes:
- One Pan Quinoa with Ground Turkey, Kale, Mushrooms and Tomatoes
- Quinoa Wheat Berry Salad
- Creamy Turkey Soup with Quinoa
- Apple Spice Quinoa Pancakes
- Vegan Bolognese with Lentils and Quinoa
- Savory Quinoa Muffins
- Quinoa Salad with Grapes and Celery
- Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This quinoa salad with avocado dressing, pinto beans, red bell pepper, and more is a hearty and filling salad that stores great in the fridge – it’s perfect for lunches!
Ingredients
- 1 can (16 ounce) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup [avocado lime dressing], more to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix everything together. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Serving size: approximately 1 cup.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 155mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Nancy Roudebush says
My husband and I loved this recipe. It was easy to prepare and very tasty.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come and leave a comment and review!
Christine @ WRY TOAST says
salads that stay fresh in the fridge are SO clutch!!! love that feature, plus the pimento beans are such a nice bonus :) pinned!
denise says
I need to start buying quinoa again