Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad
Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad combines fluffy quinoa with juicy tomato, sweet corn, and hearty black beans, all brightened by fresh lime and cilantro. A touch of adobo seasoning adds warmth, while feta brings a creamy, tangy finish. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a make-ahead lunch, it tastes even better as the flavors meld.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook15 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 55 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 91 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 24
- Heart Health
- 75
- Metabolic
- 34
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 37
- Performance
- 44
- General Wellness
- 1
Rinse the quinoa well under cold water; drain.
- 2
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- 3
Cook and stir the quinoa until the water evaporates and the quinoa is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
- 4
Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.
- 5
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed the broth, about 10 minutes.
- 6
Cool the quinoa in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
- 7
Combine the green bell pepper, red onion, corn, black beans, cilantro, tomato, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, adobo seasoning, and feta cheese in a large salad bowl.
- 8
Gently stir in the quinoa; season with salt, pepper, and additional lime juice to taste.
- 9
Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving; serve cold.
- Calories 267.11 kcal Moderate 13%
- Protein 11.7 g Good Source 23%
- Carbohydrate 31.08 g 11%
- Total Fat 10.96 g Moderate 14%
- Saturated Fat 4.02 g High 20%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 20.02 mg Moderate 7%
- Sodium 470.39 mg High 20%
- Dietary Fiber 4.84 g Moderate 17%
- Total Sugars 3.38 g --
- Added Sugars 0.03 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 125.72 mg Low Source 10%
- Iron 2.46 mg Moderate 14%
- Potassium 198.26 mg Low Source 4%
- Vitamin A 14.24 mcg Low Source 2%
- Vitamin C 8.71 mg Low Source 10%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Corn 🌽
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Southwest Style Quinoa Salad is made with 15 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 45 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Adobo Seasoning, Black Beans, Butter, and Chicken Broth. Each serving provides about 267.11 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad made of?
- The main ingredients are Adobo Seasoning, Black Beans, Butter, Chicken Broth, Corn. The full list of 15 is above.
- How long does it take to make Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad?
- About 45 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 15 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 267.11 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 15 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad healthy?
- Southwest-Style Quinoa Salad has an easyChef Pro health score of 45/100. Per serving, it provides 267.11 calories and 11.7 g of protein, or 23% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 470.39 mg (20% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 4.02 g (20% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Corn, Tomatoes and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required