This Mexican Quinoa Salad is a bright, colorful dish that is fast and easy to make. Loaded with fluffy leftover quinoa, vibrant vegetables, vitamin rich spinach, and topped with an easy to make lime dressing; this salad is sure to become another favorite.

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Need a bright, colorful, and easy salad for the upcoming warm days? This Mexican quinoa salad with zesty lime dressing is so easy to put together, but is sure to catch the attention of everyone you serve it to. The mix of red bell pepper, green spinach, deep purple black beans (to me, they’re purple, don’t come at me), yellow corn, and cream colored quinoa creates an eye-catching and bright combination.

How to cut a bell pepper

As I mentioned, this salad is incredibly simple to prepare. The most challenging part is probably dicing the bell pepper. But fear not, below you’ll find step-by-step instructions (complete with pictures!) on how to cleanly and efficiently dice up a bell pepper.

The curves of the bell pepper can prove challenging when cutting it up. And those pesky seeds! They have a knack for getting everywhere, which can be really annoying when cleaning up. Below, you’ll discover how to dice that bell pepper quickly and neatly without scattering seeds all over the place. It’s entirely doable, and you’ll never chop a bell pepper haphazardly again.

Ingredients for Mexican Quinoa Salad

Quinoa – This pseudo-grain is an excellent addition to salads due to its small size and how well it integrates into the salad
Spinach – Rich in iron and a beautiful green color, spinach is a nice tender green that only needs a rough chop to get it ready for a salad
Black beans – These beans deserve a permanent place in your pantry because they are so versatile and full of fiber
Sweet corn – It’s subtle sweetness adds balance to the zesty lime dressing
Bell pepper – Satisfyingly crunchy and vibrant, bell pepper is living it’s best life in this salad

Questions and Answers

Can I use freshly cooked quinoa instead of leftover quinoa in Mexican Quinoa salad?

If you opt for freshly cooked quinoa instead of using leftovers, allow it to cool slightly before adding the spinach. If it’s still hot, the heat from the quinoa might cause the spinach to wilt. If you don’t mind wilted spinach, feel free to mix the hot quinoa with the spinach. You’re the master of your salad’s destiny.

Another thing to consider when using hot/warm quinoa is that warm grains/pseudo grains tend to need more dressing. So, if the quinoa’s warm just know you’ll need a bit more dressing or else the salad will be less flavorful. Making one and a half times more of the dressing should be enough extra to help it be flavorful if the grain is warm.

How do I quickly cool quinoa?

Quinoa (and any cooked grain) cools down faster when spread in a thin layer. The best way to do this is on a rimmed baking sheet. Just plop the cooked quinoa onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Let it sit out on the counter, giving it a stir every now and then to aid in cooling. This method should have your quinoa cooled down in about 10 minutes.

You can even speed up the cooling process by popping the baking sheet of quinoa in the fridge for a few minutes (if you have room in there).

Can I make Mexican Quinoa Salad ahead of time?

This Mexican quinoa salad is an excellent make-ahead or meal prep option. Even after a couple of days stored covered in the fridge, the ingredients retain their freshness, and the texture and flavor remain uncompromised.