Tropical Quinoa Pineapple Beans (Printable Version)

A colorful blend of quinoa, pineapple, black beans, and fresh veggies tossed in lime dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water

→ Fruits and Vegetables

03 - 1.5 cups fresh pineapple, diced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 0.5 small red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
09 - 1 avocado, diced

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
12 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
15 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, pineapple, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, black beans, and cilantro.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup or honey, cumin, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
05 - Just before serving, fold in the diced avocado to prevent browning.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've put in serious effort, but honestly takes less time than scrolling through your phone.
  • The combination of sweetness, tanginess, and earthiness hits in a way that makes salad feel exciting instead of obligatory.
  • It actually holds up beautifully in the fridge, making meal prep feel like a win rather than a chore.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa or your black beans—it sounds like extra steps but it's the difference between a salad that tastes clean and bright versus dull and starchy.
  • If you're making this ahead, add the avocado only right before serving, otherwise it'll turn brown and the texture disappears; the rest of the salad actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge because the flavors meld.
03 -
  • The secret nobody tells you is that letting the cooled quinoa sit with the dressing for even 30 minutes before adding the avocado makes it taste way more cohesive and intentional.
  • Always taste your dressing before it hits the salad; it should make your mouth water on its own because that's how you know it's strong enough to carry a whole bowl of vegetables.
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