Quinoa has been misunderstood for a long time. It gets filed under diet food, bland food, the thing you eat when you are being good. That framing does it no favors and it is not accurate.

Quinoa is one of the only plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids - a complete protein. Combined with black beans, it delivers a protein stack that most grain-based salads cannot come close to. At 10Pg of protein per serving before any additions, this bowl earns its place on a Strength & Sazon table not because it is virtuous but because it actually works.

This version cooks the quinoa in chicken bone broth instead of plain water - the single upgrade that transforms the grain from neutral filler to something with depth and savory backbone. The dressing is rebuilt too: avocado oil, fresh lime juice, zero sugar honey, cumin, and smoked paprika. Less oil than the original, more flavor, every ingredient earning its place.

Black beans, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh cilantro, ripe avocado. It takes 40 minutes. It holds in the refrigerator for four days. It tastes better the next day than the day you make it. This is the salad that belongs in your meal prep rotation every week of the year - not just the weeks when you are trying to be good.

Protein Score

Base protein: 10g per serving | Tier: Balanced

The protein in this salad comes from quinoa and black beans working together. Quinoa delivers approximately 3g per serving from the cooked grain - modest on its own, but notable because it is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. The black beans contribute approximately 5-6g per serving, making them the primary protein driver in this bowl. Corn, avocado, and tomatoes round out the remaining 1-2g. This is a plant-based balanced dish - it is not a protein anchor on its own. Build the plate with a lean protein addition from the options below and the bowl becomes something significantly more substantial.

PROTEIN BOOST OPTIONS

This salad is built for additions. The base holds any protein without the recipe needing to change:

• Grilled shrimp: 10g + 24g = 34g total
• Grilled chicken breast: 10g + 25g = 35g total
• 2 soft-boiled eggs: 10g + 12g = 22g total
• Extra black beans: 10g + 6g = 16g total

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Quinoa cooked in bone broth instead of water absorbs the collagen and savory depth of the broth during cooking - the grain goes from neutral to genuinely flavorful before a single ingredient is added
• The dressing uses ⅓ cup avocado oil instead of the ¾ cup olive oil most quinoa salad recipes call for - half the oil means the lime and honey actually come through instead of being drowned in fat
• Zero sugar honey adds the brightness that makes a lime dressing complex rather than simply sour - one teaspoon in the full batch, enough to taste, not enough to register as sweet
• Cumin and smoked paprika in the dressing give this a Latin identity that separates it from every other quinoa salad on the internet - this is a Strength & Sazon salad, not a generic grain bowl
• Black beans and quinoa together create a complete amino acid profile - all nine essential amino acids in one bowl, which almost no single plant food can claim alone
• This salad holds for four days in the refrigerator and tastes better on day two when the dressing has had time to work into the quinoa and beans

High-Protein Colorful Quinoa Salad with Lime-Avocado Oil Dressing

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Gaila - Strength & Sazón

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Quinoa cooked in bone broth, tossed with black beans, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and cilantro. Dressed in a lime, avocado oil, zero sugar honey, cumin, and smoked paprika dressing. 15g protein per serving, naturally gluten-free, plant-based as written. The meal prep salad that holds all week.

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Ingredients

INGREDIENTS - SALAD:

• ¾ cup dry quinoa rinsed well (yields approximately 2 cups cooked)
• 1.5 cups chicken bone broth
• 1 can 15oz black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can 15oz sweet corn, drained well
• 1 ripe avocado diced into ½-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 15 cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt for cooking quinoa

INGREDIENTS - LIME-AVOCADO OIL DRESSING:

• ⅓ cup avocado oil
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice approximately 3-4 limes
• 2 garlic cloves mashed to a paste
• 1 teaspoon zero sugar honey https://amzn.to/3OXKsiD
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the quinoa: rinse dry quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs completely clear - minimum 60 seconds of rinsing. This removes the saponins that cause bitterness. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add bone broth and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and rest covered 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Spread on a sheet pan to cool completely - do not dress warm quinoa.
• Make the dressing: whisk together avocado oil, lime juice, mashed garlic, zero sugar honey, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified. Taste - it should be bright, slightly savory, with a back note of sweetness from the honey. Adjust salt and lime as needed.
• Assemble: in a large bowl combine cooled quinoa, drained black beans, drained corn, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat everything evenly.
• Add avocado last: add diced avocado and fold in gently - 3-4 strokes only. You want pieces not mash.
• Chill: cover and refrigerate minimum 2 hours before serving. The dressing melds into the quinoa and beans during this time and the flavor deepens significantly.
• Stir gently before serving and taste for salt and lime. Add a squeeze of fresh lime just before plating.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Follow @Strengthandsazon snap a photo and tag #Strengthandsazon!

TEXTURE TIPS

• The dressing will separate as it sits in the refrigerator - the oil rises, the lime sinks. Stir the salad gently before serving and it comes back together in seconds. 
• Rinsing the quinoa is not optional. The saponin coating on unrinsed quinoa is what causes the soapy, bitter flavor that makes people say they do not like quinoa. Run cold water through the sieve until the water runs completely clear - you will actually see the water go from cloudy to clear. That moment is when you stop rinsing.
• Cool the quinoa completely before adding any dressing or ingredients. Warm quinoa absorbs dressing unevenly and the avocado will brown immediately on contact with warm grain. Spread it on a sheet pan to speed up cooling.
• Dice the avocado last and add it last. Avocado browns quickly once cut and breaks down when over-mixed. Three or four gentle folds after adding it is all you need.
• Mash the garlic to a paste rather than mincing. A rough mince leaves visible chunks that some bites hit and some miss. A garlic paste distributes evenly through the dressing so every forkful has the same flavor.

MEAL PREP HOW-TO

• This is one of the best meal prep salads in the collection. Make the full batch Sunday and it holds through Thursday with the flavor improving every day.
• Make the quinoa and dressing separately on Sunday. Combine with the vegetables but leave the avocado out. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Add fresh diced avocado to each serving portion at lunchtime - this keeps the avocado from browning through the week.
• The dressing keeps separately in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Make a double batch and use the extra on other salads through the week.
• For batch protein: grill a batch of shrimp or chicken breast on Sunday alongside the quinoa. Store separately and add to each portion at serving time for a Powerhouse plate without extra weekday cooking.
• Bariatric portioning: ⅓ cup is a manageable portion - approximately 5g protein, soft textures throughout from the cooked quinoa and beans, easy to eat in small amounts. The lime dressing is bright enough that a small portion feels complete. Pair with 2oz of a lean protein for a full bariatric plate.

STORAGE TIPS

• Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Stir before serving each day. The lime and cumin deepen over time - day 3 is often the best version of this salad. Avocado: if storing with avocado already mixed in, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to minimize browning. For best results store avocado separately and add fresh at each serving.
• Do not freeze: quinoa texture holds after freezing but the vegetables and avocado do not. Dressing stored separately: up to 1 week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Shake or whisk before using.

TRY THESE NEXT

• High-Protein Arugula Pesto Pearl Couscous Salad - the other grain salad in this collection. Peppery arugula pesto, pearl couscous, the same meal prep logic. 12-14g protein, 15 minutes.
• High-Protein Black Bean Soup with Turkey Chorizo - when the weather calls for something warm and the black beans are already in your pantry. Same ingredients, completely different result. 22-26g protein.
• Fresh Tuna Ceviche Verde with Air Fryer Mariquitas - the cold bowl for when you want Dominican flavors in a light, no-cook format. 30g protein, done in 30 minutes.

Cook the quinoa in bone broth. Make the dressing first so the flavors have time to come together. Add the avocado last. Refrigerate for two hours minimum.

That is the whole method. The salad will taste better tomorrow than it does today. That is what good meal prep always does.

Tag @strengthandsazon and use #StrengthAndSazon - I want to see your bowls.