A vegan quinoa black bean salad with a difference! Sweet, juicy peaches with crunchy red pepper, nutty quinoa and creamy mild black beans make this quinoa salad one you'll want to make on repeat. Add smoked paprika pumpkin seeds and toss with a sweet peach vinaigrette for extra layers of flavour!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Sweet, juicy peaches with crunchy red pepper, nutty quinoa and creamy mild black beans make this vegan quinoa salad one you'll want to make on repeat throughout the summer!
- A typical quinoa black bean salad often has flavours of the Southwest and is frequently tossed with a cilantro lime dressing. Adding peaches or nectarines to this black bean salad with quinoa and tossing it with a peach vinaigrette transforms it into something deliciously different!
- This salad makes a healthy, balanced vegan lunch or side salad for dinner. It's dairy-free and meat-free, and yet it's a good source of protein. Quinoa is a complete protein, and black beans are a nutrition powerhouse, full of antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.
- You'll love the peach salad dressing in this recipe! It's delicious on this Avocado, Grilled Peach and Chipotle Shrimp Salad too.
I make quinoa salad often as it's such a wholesome side dish.
In the summer this Garden Fresh Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is a favourite. In the fall and winter, I make Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Pears.
Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Dressing is another favourite at any time of the year!
This recipe combines all the goodness of quinoa with healthy black beans. (And if you love black beans, you'll also like this Mango Black Bean Salad with Lemon-Lime Vinaigrette or this Tomato Avocado Black Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing.)
🛒 Ingredients for black bean salad with quinoa
You'll find a complete list of ingredients in the recipe card below. Here are a few notes about some of the ingredients.
- quinoa: You'll cook the quinoa in water and cool it completely before adding it to the salad.
- black beans: cooked. Using canned black beans makes this a quick and easy salad.
- peaches: fresh, preferably organic, as peaches are on the Dirty Dozen list.
- jalapeño pepper: This is optional, but it adds a little heat. Leave the seeds out for less heat.
- toasted pumpkin seeds: You'll toast with olive oil, sea salt, and smoked paprika for extra delicious flavour.
- sweet peach salad dressing: This is my favourite summer salad dressing! It's an easy dressing made with fresh peaches, olive oil, white wine vinegar and honey. It's perfect on this black bean salad.
🔪 Easy steps to make this quinoa black bean salad
First, toast the Pumpkin Seeds
- Start by making the smoked paprika pumpkin seeds. In a small skillet, heat oil, then add pumpkin seeds. Toast for a few minutes until they become fragrant and just start to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and toss with sea salt and smoked paprika. Let them cool completely before adding to the salad.
Next, make the Sweet Peach Vinaigrette
- Next, make the dressing and set it aside to allow the flavours to blend. Combine all ingredients for the salad dressing in a blender or small food processor.
Third, assemble the Quinoa Black Bean Salad
- Rinse the quinoa with running water in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool completely. If you're not using it right away, refrigerate it.
- Drain the black beans and rinse thoroughly in a sieve.
- In a large bowl, combine the completely cooled quinoa, black beans, chopped red bell pepper, diced red onion, and minced jalapeño pepper. Toss with half the dressing and refrigerate until serving time.
- Just before serving, toss the chopped peaches with a tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning. Add the peaches to the salad along with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Garnish with sliced peaches and chopped parsley. Add extra dressing if you'd like.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
- Toss peaches with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Add the peaches to the salad just before serving time.
- In the same way, keep the pumpkin seeds crisp by adding them to the salad just before tossing and serving it.
- Save time! Cook the quinoa the night before you plan to serve it and refrigerate it. You can also make the peach salad dressing a day or two before as well.
❓Questions you might have
Quinoa has a natural bitter coating containing saponins that acts as its natural protection against predators. When quinoa first became popular in North America, it was recommended to rinse it thoroughly before cooking. Most quinoa sold in North America is now pre-rinsed before cooking.
If you find that quinoa tastes soapy, you may be sensitive to saponins and will want to rinse it yourself, just to be sure.
🔁 Possible Variations
You can easily substitute nectarines or mango for the peaches.
Use tri-coloured quinoa for extra colour in this salad.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftover salad in a covered container for a day or two.
🍽 Serving suggestions
This quinoa black bean salad makes a healthy vegan lunch. It's also delicious as a side for grilled chicken or fish.
Try it with Greek Lemon Chicken Kabobs or Grilled Turmeric Chicken Kabobs for an easy summer meal.
It's delicious as a side for Crispy Fennel-Crusted Salmon, Pistachio Crusted Salmon, or Jerk Salmon.
🗒 More recipes for peach season!
- Grilled Peaches with Honey Lemon Drizzle: Flavoured with honey, lemon, vanilla and a hint of cinnamon, this dessert of bbq peaches is quick and easy to make, ready in 15 minutes.
- Gluten-free Blueberry Peach Clafoutis: a simple rustic French dish make with a gluten-free flour blend, a custard-like filling and warm peaches and blueberries
- Peach Ginger Iced Tea: With all the healthy benefits of green tea, this iced tea is perfect for summer sipping!
- Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Honeyed Peaches: a simple appetizer made with fresh peaches, honey and thyme!
- Homemade Sweet Peach Salad Dressing: an amazing vinaigrette for any green salads!
- Grilled Halloumi Peach and Tomato Salad: try this heirloom tomato salad with grilled peaches, grilled halloumi cheese and crisp (gluten-free) croutons.
🗒More healthy salad recipes
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Peaches
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 ¾ cup water
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
- 4 medium peaches, 3 diced, 1 sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
- 2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped for garnish
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Sweet Peach Vinaigrette
- 1 medium peach, very ripe or ½ a large peach
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon honey, or more if you like a sweeter dressing
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- In a small skillet, heat oil, then add pumpkin seeds. Toast for a few minutes until they become fragrant and just start to brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and toss with sea salt and smoked paprika. Let them cool completely before adding to the salad.
Sweet Peach Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients for the salad dressing in a blender or small food processor.
Quinoa Black Bean Salad
- Rinse the quinoa with running water in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Spread it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool completely. If you're not using it right away, refrigerate it.
- Drain the black beans and rinse thoroughly in a sieve.
- In a large bowl, combine the completely cooled quinoa, black beans, chopped red bell pepper, diced red onion, and minced jalapeño pepper. Toss with half the dressing and refrigerate until serving time.
- Just before serving, toss the chopped peaches with a tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent browning. Add the peaches to the salad along with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Garnish with sliced peaches and chopped parsley. Add extra dressing if you'd like.
Notes
- Toss peaches with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Add the peaches to the salad just before serving time.
- In the same way, keep the pumpkin seeds crisp by adding them to the salad just before tossing and serving it.
- Add extra dressing at serving time, if you'd like.
Mina
I was skeptical, because I am not a huge fan of quinoa, but this salad is so delicious. That dressing is amazing!
Terri
What a fantastic healthy and unique salad- will be making again!
nancy
i love vegan quinoa black bean salad - obsessed with it. It super tasty and i love how healthy it is
Elaine
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Nancy!
Bernice
What a gorgeous salad Elaine! I love adding fruit to salads and I have made baked beans with peaches before so I know that bean/peach combo is a real winner. I can't wait for peach season to make this!
Elaine
Thanks Bernice!
Colleen
This salad is a perfect way to use the summer peaches. And I will, but in the meantime I bought some peaches because this recipe looked so good. And it did not disappoint! Thanks for sharing!
Elaine
Thanks Colleen, Agreed--love those local freestone peaches! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Asha
The peach salad dressing was fantastic! And I loved how satisfying of a meal this tasty salad made. Will be making this again later this summer when Okanagan peaches are in season.
Elaine
Thanks Asha! Happy to hear you enjoyed it! Agreed, there is nothing quite like locally-grown peaches!
Fiona
As soon as I saw this on Pinterest I knew I had to make it! Love a good black bean salad and this one is awesome with the peaches.
Elaine
Thanks for the 5 stars!
Dakota
This salad is amazing! I didn't have pumpkin seeds, so I used flaked almonds. Still incredibly good. I'll make this again --going to get some pumpkin seeds!
Elaine
Thanks Dakota! Glad to hear you liked it as much as we do!