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Updated with WW Personal Points on 7/20/22.
One of my most pinned Weight Watchers recipes on Pinterest is my Black Bean Corn Salad with Sweet Lime Dressing. But, this new Black Bean Confetti Quinoa Salad is going to blow your taste buds away!
This simple black bean salad is full of healthy vegetables and drenched in the Sweet Lime Dressing I use in the Black Bean Corn Salad. This is the perfect side dish for an end of summer get together too. Or make it a main dish by simply adding in cooked shredded chicken breast.
I have to admit, until recently, I have never tried quinoa. On the WW Personal Points Plan, the range of PP is 0-5 PP per serving depending on what ingredients you chose as 0 PP Foods. SmartPoints for the myWW Plan are listed below.
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Black Bean Confetti Quinoa Salad
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups of Fat Free Chicken Broth or Water
1 Cup of Quinoa, Rinsed
1 Pint of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, Halved
15 Ounce Can of Black Beans, Rinsed & Drained
1.5 Cups of Frozen Sweet Corn, Defrosted
1/2 Cup of Green Onion, Diced
1/4 Cup of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
Avocado, Chopped, Optional
SWEET LIME DRESSING:
1/3 to 1/2 Cup of Lime Juice
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Each of Cayenne Pepper + Sweet Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon of Cracked Black Pepper, Optional
1/8 Cup Swerve Sugar Substitute
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INSTRUCTIONS:
- Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold running water. Drain well.
- In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth or water to boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool but keep the lid on for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine, tomatoes, black beans, corn, green onions and chopped cilantro together. Add in the cooked quinoa.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the Sweet Lime Dressing ingredients but gradually add in the 1/8 cup of Swerve to the dressing ingredients. Add more or less Swerve Sugar Substitute to suit your taste. Pour over salad mixture and combine well. You can serve at room temperature or refrigerate when the quinoa has completely cooled then cover and chill until ready to serve. This will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Add sliced avocado before serving, if using.
- This makes 6 servings. On the WW Personal Points Plan, the range of PP is 0-5 PP per serving depending on what ingredients you chose as 0 PP Foods.
- On the Weight Watchers Blue Plan, this is 3 SP per serving, on the Green Plan it is 5 SP per serving and on the Purple Plans, it is 0 SP per serving – actually for the entire recipe. Enjoy!
- If you are not a fan of quinoa, feel free to substitute for cooked rice, cooked couscous, cooked orzo, cooked cauliflower rice or even cooked barley.
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PRINTABLE:
- 2 Cups of Fat Free Chicken Broth or Water
- 1 Cup of Quinoa, Rinsed
- 1 Pint of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, Halved
- 15 Ounce Can of Black Beans, Rinsed & Drained
- 1.5 Cups of Frozen Sweet Corn, Defrosted
- ½ Cup of Green Onion, Diced
- ¼ Cup of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
- Sliced Avocado, Optional
- SWEET LIME DRESSING:
- ⅓ to ½ Cup of Lime Juice
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Each of Cayenne Pepper + Sweet Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon of Cracked Black Pepper, Optional
- ⅛ Cup Swerve Sugar Substitute
- Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold running water. Drain well.
- In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth or water to boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool but keep the lid on for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine, tomatoes, black beans, corn, green onions and chopped cilantro together. Add in the cooked quinoa.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the Sweet Lime Dressing ingredients but gradually add in the ⅛ cup of Swerve to the dressing ingredients. Add more or less Swerve Sugar Substitute to suit your taste. Pour over salad mixture and combine well. You can serve at room temperature or refrigerate when the quinoa has completely cooled then cover and chill until ready to serve. Add sliced avocado before serving, if using.
- This makes 6 servings. WW Points are on the blog for this recipe.
FAQs ABOUT QUINOA:
- Is quinoa good for me? Better believe it – Quinoa has 2x as much fiber as other grains and an excellent source of protein.
- Quinoa is gluten free making it perfect for those with gluten intolerance.
- Quinoa is wonderful for those that have to watch their sugar intake. It’s wonderful for controlling blood sugar.
- Did you know that there are different colors of quinoa? White has the least bitter flavor while red and black are better suited for cold salad recipes. I linked my favorite quinoa above – it’s a blend of all 3 colors.
- You can make a batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and use it to make different grain based salads. Quinoa will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze cooked quinoa for up to 2 months in the freezer. Make sure you use tightly sealed containers to store in the refrigerator. Be sure to cool the quinoa completely before storing in the fridge or freezer.
Can I make Quinoa in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely. It’s super easy to do. If you make quinoa on the stove, the ratio I use is 2 parts broth or water to 1 part quinoa.
However, in the Instant Pot, it’s a 1:1 ratio.
- 1.5 Cup of Quinoa, Rinsed
- 1.5 Cup of Water
- Pour the water and the quinoa into the Instant Pot.
- Secure your lid and make sure it's sealed.
- Choose the manual setting and cook on high for 1 minute.
- When cooking has completed, do a natural pressure release for 12 minutes.
- When time is up, turn your steam release valve to vent. This will release more steam.
- After a few minutes, you will notice that the floating valve has dropped down which means you can safely open your Instant Pot.
- Fluff your quinoa with a fork. That's it!
I hope you make this fantastic quinoa salad recipe soon and find a new favorite Weight Watchers quinoa recipe.