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Quinoa, Avocado & Black Bean Salad
Recipe

Quinoa, Avocado & Black Bean Salad

Main • South Africa

Fluffy quinoa tossed with black beans, avocado, tomato, cucumber and sweetcorn, finished with a simple lime-cumin dressing. Great for lunch, meal prep, or a light supper.

Why smarter

Uses quinoa and beans for satisfying protein and fibre, plenty of veg for volume, and avocado for creamy texture without heavy dressings.

Chef tip

Rinse quinoa well and let it cool before mixing—this keeps the salad fluffy and stops the avocado from getting mushy.

Soft line

Bright, filling and easy to pack for tomorrow.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Quinoa, rinsed 1.000 cup Quinoa
2 Water 2.000 cups Water For cooking quinoa
3 Black beans, drained and rinsed 400.000 g Black beans 1 can
4 Sweetcorn kernels, drained 165.000 g Sweetcorn About 1 small can
5 Cucumber, diced 1.000 medium Cucumber
6 Tomatoes, diced 2.000 medium Tomatoes
7 Red onion, finely chopped 0.500 small Red onion
8 Avocados, diced 2.000 medium Avocado Add just before serving for best texture
9 Fresh coriander, chopped 0.500 cup Coriander Or flat-leaf parsley
10 Lime juice 3.000 tbsp Lime juice Or lemon juice
11 Canola oil 2.000 tbsp Canola oil
12 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp Ground cumin
13 Honey 1.000 tsp Honey Optional, to balance acidity
14 Salt 0.500 tsp Salt To taste
15 Black pepper 0.250 tsp Black pepper To taste

Method

  1. Rinse the quinoa well under cold water in a fine sieve.
  2. Add quinoa and water to a pot. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 12–15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
  3. Remove from heat, keep covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Spread on a plate or tray to cool to room temperature.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, black beans, sweetcorn, cucumber, tomatoes and red onion.
  5. Whisk together the lime juice, canola oil, cumin, honey (if using), salt and black pepper.
  6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
  7. Fold through most of the coriander, then add the diced avocado and toss very gently.
  8. Taste and adjust with extra lime, salt or pepper. Serve immediately, or chill for 20–30 minutes for a colder salad.