Vegan Black Bean & Tomato Quinoa

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.

If you are looking for a high protein, meatless, whole food recipe that tastes amazing, I’ve got one for you! I’ve been making this black bean and tomato quinoa (adapted from an Epicurious recipe) for a bunch of years now. This healthy dish is fresh-tasting and packed with zingy flavor, making it a great option to take as a side to a potluck. I recently doubled it and made it for a crowd at my house. It was a hit!

This quinoa dish is vegan, so it’s perfect for anyone avoiding dairy and meat. Because quinoa is so packed with protein, you could make it on Sunday and have it for a healthy lunch throughout the week! Yum! Here is the recipe!

Vegan Black Bean & Tomato Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
• 2 tsp grated lime zest
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt & pepper

Step 1: Cook the quinoa in lightly salted water. Important: Make sure you refer to the package for rinsing directions before you cook it. Quinoa is naturally very bitter. You’ll need to rinse the quinoa with several changes of water or it will taste awful. If you buy the pre-rinsed variety, (they carry it at Costco), you can skip that step. To cook quinoa, I use my rice cooker on the “brown rice” setting and it works perfectly. If you don’t have a rice cooker, just follow the package directions for cooking.

Step 2: Whisk together in the bottom of a large bowl the zest, lime juice, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp ground pepper.

Step 3: Add the cooked and slightly cooled quinoa to the dressing and toss until the dressing is absorbed.

Step 4: Stir in the tomatoes, beans, green onions, and cilantro. Taste and season with salt & pepper to your preference. Serve and enjoy!

I would love to hear what you think of this recipe! Comment below and let me know!