A Protein-Packed Quinoa, Avocado + Black Bean Salad
My mom called me the other day acting really strange.
She was like, “I’ve been making a lot of black bean salads lately.”
And I was like, “Cool, Mom.”
And she goes, “Do you like black bean salads?”
And I said, “Sure, Mom. I used to love that one you made with the feta and avocado when we were kids.”
And she returns, “Yeah, that’s one of the ones I made recently. It’s really good, right?”
And I responded, “Uh huh, it’s good — what are you getting at?”
Finally, she spit it out — “You should make it for your blog!”
Ah, I see. Mom’s developed a taste for the spotlight (just kidding Mom — but seriously).
Despite her obvious angling for a moment of fame, her black bean avocado salad is really good. And with these crazy hot summer temps here in LA lately, a cold, crunchy salad was just what I needed to avoid using the oven.
Her original recipe called for brown rice, which you know I don’t eat too much of these days, so I replaced it with protein-packed quinoa. The cheese and black beans also add a major boost of meat-free protein.
This healthy, vegetarian salad is full of flavor thanks to the vinegar, herbs, and feta cheese.
The tri-color cherry tomatoes and avocado add a burst of color, in addition to their antioxidant-rich phytochemicals.
It’s so easy to whip up a big batch and eat it all week long and the leftovers taste even better than the first run!
- 1 C. Quinoa (uncooked)
- 1 can Black Beans (15 oz)
- 1 Avocado, cubed
- 1 C. Cherry Tomatoes
- ½ C. Feta Cheese
- ½ C. Fresh Parsley, chopped
- ¼ C. Green Onions
- ¼ C. White Wine Vinegar
- 1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 T. Italian Seasoning
- Salt + Pepper to taste
- Cook quinoa according to directions.
- Wash and slice cherry tomatoes.
- Dice green onions.
- Rinse black beans and combine in a large bowl with the tomatoes, onions, avocado, feta, and parsley.
- Once quinoa is cooked and cooled, combine with the salad.
- Mix vinegar, olive, and seasoning in a small bowl, then pour and mix into the salad.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I recommend buying organic black beans with no sodium added. You can add your own salt to taste and it will still have much less sodium than if you buy the beans that come soaking in it.
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Patti Cakes says:
This looks delicious! I could totally eat this all week for lunch/dinner!
Whitney English says:
Thank you! Let me know if you try it out! xo
Krissy @ Pretty Wee Things says:
Oh my goodness this looks like the yummiest salad! I can totally see why your mum is so proud of it! I am pinning this to make for my Sunday meal prep next week!
Beverley @ sweaty&fit says:
Your mother sounds adorable, and also this salad looks delicious. Cherry tomatoes with black beans and feta are one of my all time favorite combos. Saving this for later!!
Dale Janee says:
This seriously look sooo good and I just had quinoa last year and loved it. Such a cute story about your mom calling you too and hinting around at her amazing recipe. Some times childhood favorites are the best.
xoDale