By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 3, 2026
Serves 8
403 cal · 30 min
Southwest Quinoa Salad
Recipe GLPR1c57e29f00c577
A hearty and nutritious quinoa-based salad featuring seasoned ground beef, black beans, fresh vegetables, and a tangy Catalina dressing. This colorful Southwest-inspired dish combines protein-rich ingredients with vibrant veggies for a satisfying meal that works as a side, lunch, or main course.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
1½ cups quinoa
3 cups water
½ pound ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1¾ cups cooked black beans (or 15 oz. canned, drained)
1 can corn, drained
1 can olives, drained
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup diced onion
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ cup Catalina dressing
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and stir well. Once it returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
While the quinoa cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat from the pan. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the cooked beef and stir to coat evenly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, olives, grape tomatoes, diced onion, and celery slices. Toss all ingredients together until evenly mixed.
Drizzle the Catalina dressing and lemon juice over the salad. Toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Comments
This salad hits the sweet spot for a Charlotte weeknight: quinoa, black beans, corn, and ground beef are staples at every major chain, with no forced detours to specialty stores. The stated 30 minutes is honest if you buy pre-cooked quinoa or use a rice cooker while browning the beef, though cooking quinoa from scratch stretches closer to 40. At roughly $2.50 to $3.00 per serving, the ground beef is the main cost driver, but you can trim that by using a leaner package or skipping it for a vegetarian version. The real strength is household fit: it feeds eight, tolerates casual assembly with no fussy technique, and leftovers hold well in the fridge for three days, making it a smart meal-prep choice for busy families.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
