Fall is here and I have the perfect savory southwest quinoa salad to enjoy this autumn! Great for serving as a side dish, or the main!
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Why You'll Love This
Southwest salads are savory thanks to their combination of vegetables, spices, and flavorful dressings. This recipe adds seasonal extras like sweet potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and corn, enhancing the classic base of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and black beans.
Quinoa is also included, making the salad heartier, adding great texture and taste! Packed with nutrients, this salad is filling and delicious. Let’s dive into putting it all together!
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What is a "Southwest Salad"?
To understand Southwest salads, it's important to recognize their origins in the rich culinary fusion of Spanish settlers, Native Americans, Cowboys, and Mexicans from the post-Columbian era. This cuisine blends traditional Mexican flavors, such as chipotle, corn, peppers, cilantro, lime, and avocado, with American ingredients like pork and beef. Who could ask for more?
These Mexican-inspired elements give the salad its distinctive spicy kick. This background highlights the cultural influences that shaped the Southwest Salad.
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need for this recipe!:
- Sweet potatoes: Add sweetness and texture.
- Red bell pepper: Provides crunch and sweetness.
- Yellow corn: Adds natural sweetness and chewiness.
- Olive oil: Adds richness and moisture.
- Paprika: Imparts smoky flavor.
- Garlic powder: Enhances savory depth.
- Cumin: Adds warm, earthy flavor.
- Pepper: Enhances flavor with mild heat.
- Salt: Balances and elevates flavors.
- Arugula: Adds peppery freshness.
- Cherry tomatoes: Provide juiciness and tang.
- Quinoa: Serves as a nutty, protein-rich base.
- Black beans: Add creaminess and protein.
- Pepita seeds: Offer crunch and nuttiness.
- Zucchini: Adds refreshing crunch.
- Red onion: Adds sharp, tangy bite.
- Avocado: Provides creamy richness.
- Cilantro: Adds a fresh, citrusy note.
Chipotle Dressing
- Chipotle peppers: Add smoky, spicy depth.
- Greek yogurt: Provides creamy tanginess.
- Lime juice: Brightens with acidity.
- Garlic: Adds aromatic sharpness.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!
Substitutions & Variations
Whether you're missing a few ingredients, or just looking for simple modifications, these tips below can help you adjust the recipe!
- Give it a Boost: Try adding some GF pasta to make this salad even more filling!
Please note that this recipe hasn't been tested with substitutions beyond those listed. Adding or replacing ingredients may alter the results.
Equipment
All you will need for this recipe is; a baking sheet, mixing bowls, a salad bowl and a blender!
Instructions
Roast the vegetables by preheating the oven to 350°F, lining a baking sheet with parchment, and tossing sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and corn (and zucchini, if preferred cooked) in olive oil and a spice blend of paprika, garlic powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. Spread them on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Let's Make the Quinoa
If you've visited my blog before, you know I love adding quinoa to salad recipes! Quinoa is a powerful, versatile grain that can be boiled, ground into flour, or rolled into flakes. It's gluten-free and offers numerous health benefits, including:
Vitamins: Quinoa boosts your intake of essential vitamins, being rich in copper, iron, zinc, and Vitamin B6.
Nutrient Dense: One cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber.
Plant-Based Protein: Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, making it an exception among plant sources.
Cook quinoa by combining 1 cup quinoa with 1¾ cups water or broth, bringing to a boil, then simmering covered for 15 minutes. Let sit covered for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Putting Together The Salad
While the vegetables are baking, prepare the salad base in a large bowl by adding arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, black beans, pepita seeds, red onion, avocado, and cilantro. Once cooled, add the cooked quinoa and raw zucchini if desired.
Here’s a quick guide for preparing some of these ingredients:
Red Onion: To reduce its sharp flavor, soak diced onion in ice water for 20 minutes before adding it to the salad.
Pepita Seeds: Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepita seeds are shell-less and have a nutty taste and slight crunch.
Black Beans: Rinse and drain the legumes twice before adding them to remove any liquid from the can.
After mixing these ingredients, let the roasted vegetables cool for 10 minutes before adding them to the salad. Your dish is almost ready!
A Quick Little Salad Dressing
This southwest quinoa salad dressing is quick and simple to make! Combine chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, Greek yogurt, and garlic in a blender. The chipotle adds heat, while the lime juice and yogurt provide balance. Blend until smooth, which should take about a minute. This dressing is essential for that classic southwest flavor!
Finishing Off this Southwest Quinoa Salad
Once your vegetables are at room temperature and the dressing is ready, add the vegetables to your salad base and toss. Drizzle a light amount of dressing over the salad and mix—remember, you can always add more but can't take it away!
Serving Suggestions
For extra crunch, consider toasting or air-frying sliced corn tortillas with a bit of olive oil and tajin for homemade chips. If you want more protein, grilled chicken or steak would be great additions. Serve it up center table and watch the salad disappear!
Storage
If you have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge. To prevent wilting, keep the dressing on the side. However, you might find the salad disappears quickly! To pair, I highly recommend my gluten-free pesto risotto for a savory dish to make it a full meal!
FAQ
Of course! Feel free to add whichever dressing you love!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairings
Try some of these to pair with!
Fall Southwest Quinoa Salad
Course: Salads, Lunch, Dinner, SidesDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes25
minutesThis play on a traditional southwest salad is the perfect recipe to utilize fall produce in a unique way!
Ingredients
1 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup yellow corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups of arugula, washed
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed twice
¾ cup pepita seeds
½ cup zucchini, chopped
¼ red onion, diced
1 avocado, pitted and diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
- Ingredients for Chipotle Dressing
2 chipotle peppers from the can with the adobo sauce
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup lime juice
1 garlic clove, grated
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and yellow corn to a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and toss.
- Combine the spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle into the bowl and toss to combine before spreading evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
- While the vegetables are in the oven, add the following to a large salad bowl: arugula, tomatoes, cooked quinoa, black beans, peptic seeds, zucchini, red onion, avocado, and cilantro.
- Once the vegetables have finished cooking, allow them to cool for ten minutes before adding to the bowl.
- Make the dressing by adding the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to a blender with the lime juice, greek yogurt and garlic.
- Blend until smooth (roughly one minute).
- Add a light amount of dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If making ahead of time or storing leftovers, reserve the salad dressing and only use whe
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