Instant Pot Black Bean & Quinoa Salad

 

I know I often talk about how much we use our Instant Pot, but it’s 100% the truth. So true in fact that I have multiple Instant Pots that I rotate through and use every single week. People often ask me if it’s necessary to have multiple pressure cookers and I strongly feel that it is. 

 

The Instant Pot can create meals in a matter of minutes. The meals are going to come out perfectly every single time. The more of them that I have, the better I can meal prep and plan for our family. 

 

It’s not that I’m an impatient person when it comes to cooking, I just like to be efficient with my cooking time. And thankfully, the Instant Pot helps with that! 

 

This is entirely up to you. Some people rinse off the canned beans before cooking because it can help to get rid of excess sodium. Other people don’t rinse and dump the entire can into the Instant Pot. It’s seriously your preference on what you like to do. 

 

If you know that you’re going to be adding in more salt later into a recipe, you might want to take that into consideration if you’re deciding to rinse or not. 

Those of you who are watching your carbs can rest easy knowing that this dish is actually low carb. The carbs that are in this dish are carbs that your body will then use to burn and create more energy later on down the road. I’m a believer in the whole good carb/bad carb thing and good carbs can help create more energy throughout the day. 

 

Not only is this recipe low carb, but it’s also great for people who have to remove soy and gluten from their diet, too. And with it being meat-free, it’s perfect for Vegetarians and Vegans also. 

 

I’ve found that this is one dish that really can feed a wide range of people because of its versatility. Even though it doesn’t have any type of meat in it, it’s still hearty and filling because of the black beans. (and they give such a great boost of protein!) 

 

 

Are you ready for this simple and delicious recipe?! It’s perfect for any time of the year as well. 

 

 

Serves – 4

 

Ingredients to make instant pot black beans & quinoa salad

 

• 1 cup of cookedRed Quinoa ( We use the instant pot or pressure cooker)
  

• 1 cup of cooked Black Beans, drained (We make ours fresh)

• add 1 cup of Corn, drained

• A ½ cup of chopped Red Bell Pepper

• 2 tablespoon of chopped Green Onions (white and light parts)

• A ¼ cup of loosely packed chopped Cilantro

• The dark green parts of the Green Onions, thinly sliced to garnish

Dressing:

• Juice of 1 whole Lime

• 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

• ½ teaspoon of ground Cumin

• 1 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika

• ½ teaspoon of Salt and

• ½ teaspoon of Pepper

 

Instructions to make this instant pot quinoa salad

 

In a small bowl combine the lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

 

 

Whisk it well to make the dressing.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, chopped red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Mix well.

 

 

Drizzle the prepared dressing and toll it well to make sure that everything is coated with the dressing.

Chill for 30 minutes to an hour for the flavors to develop.

 

 

Serve in an individual bowl and garnish with the dark green parts of the green onions and more cilantro and lime wedges.

 

 

Would you serve this dish as a main meal or as a side dish?

Honestly, that’s totally up to you! It has amazing flavor and taste and can absolutely stand out on its own as the main course. But, if you want to serve it as a side dish, make certain that you pair it up with fun options that other people can enjoy. Think Instant Pot Ribs , salmon, even anArugula Chicken & Berry Salad. 

Don’t forget to start off the meal with a fun appetizer as well! One of my favorites is this Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn Nachos. One bite and you’ll be in comfort food heaven! 

 

How can you tell if Cilantro is fresh and going to have a good flavor?

 

This is a great question. There’s nothing more frustrating than heading to the store and buying a bunch of cilantro only to get home and realize that it’s just not that flavorful.

My tip to overcoming this? Stop and smell it. And while you might get some funny looks from people at the store, they’ll have to just get over it! 

If you can smell the fragrance of the cilantro and it’s strong, then it’s going to have that same taste as well. But, if you do the sniff test and you don’t smell anything, don’t go through with that purchase. 

Also, from a visual perspective, buy the cilantro that has a good green color to it as well. Even better, if you can grow your own cilantro in the garden, do so! That way you can just walk out your door, grab a handful from your own land and go back inside and add it right into your recipe. Doesn’t get much better than that, right?! 

If you’re looking for a simple and easy meal (or side dish) that can be a good fit for a wide variety of diets, allergies, and eaters, this Instant Pot recipe is a great choice.

We’ve eaten this in our home during the summer, winter, spring and fall months and it always tends to pair nicely with anything else that we’ve cooked up to go along with it. It’s even a great side dish option to pair up with your summer fun grilling! 

 

Have you ever cooked black beans or quinoa in your Instant Pot before?