Orange lime dressing comes together with a dash of rice wine vinegar, garlic cloves, sesame oil, and hot mustard. Ok, so this is a tangent of the Essential Dressing guide I’ve been working on, but I had to tell you about this Orange Lime Dressing! It’s super easy to make, delicious and it makes a lot of dressing. You’ll find yourself having it on everything from salads to dipping veggies into.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Orange Lime Dressing

Anytime we return home from traveling, I crave big leafy salads and all of the green smoothies.

My body misses the 24-hour veggie stream it usually receives when I’m home and in control of my diet. So when we got back from our respective trips last week, the first thing I added to our meal plan was a big Mexican-inspired salad.

So healthy, filling, and fresh – just what we both needed.

We have a pretty standard taco salad we like to eat that includes black beans, guacamole, greens, tomato, onion, lime juice and salsa. But sometimes it’s good to switch things up.

This 30-minute salad starts with a bed of leafy greens and is topped with super foods like quinoa, black beans, and avocado. Orange segments and corn add brightness and a subtle sweetness, and a creamy orange-lime avocado dressing ties it all together.

This dressing was originally going to be a vinaigrette, but I couldn’t resist throwing the other half of my avocado in the mix for super creamy texture.

Orange juice adds a citrusy sweetness, lime juice adds a tart bite, and chili and cumin add a smoky heat that balances everything out. In other words, it’s borderline dressing perfection.

I’m seriously smitten with this salad. It’s:

Fresh
Filling
Super Healthy
Loaded with super foods, protein, + fiber
Flavorful
Simple
& Fast

This would make the perfect weeknight meal when you’re craving something quick and healthy. Bonus? I think this would please vegans and non-vegans alike, and leftovers make a great lunch for the next day.

Although it’s delicious as is, I would highly recommend crushing up some tortilla chips and putting them on top for extra crunch. I mean, come on – live a little.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Orange Lime Dressing

An easy, 30-minute Mexican-inspired salad with quinoa, corn, black beans, avocado, and a creamy orange, lime, and chili dressing! Healthy, delicious, and so satisfying.

PREP TIME15 minutes

COOK TIME15 minutes

TOTAL TIME30 minutes

Servings3

CourseEntree, Salad

CuisineGluten-Free, Mexican-Inspired, Vegan

Freezer FriendlyNo

Does it keep?3-4 Days

Ingredients

SALAD

• 5-6 cups mixed greens
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (red or white)
• 1/2 cup fresh or canned corn
• 1 cup cooked black beans (seasoned with equal pinches sea salt, cumin, chili, + garlic powder)
• 1/4 cup red onion (diced)
• 1 medium orange (segmented)
• 1/2 ripe avocado (chopped)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped or torn)

DRESSING

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1 large lime (juiced // 1 large lime yields ~4 Tbsp)
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 1-2 tsp sweetener of choice (maple syrup, agave, cane sugar, etc.)
• 1-2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 tsp chili powder (or sub extra hot sauce or chipotle powder)
• 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh minced cilantro (optional)
• 3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

Instructions

• Begin preparing quinoa first by thoroughly rinsing 1/2 cup quinoa  in a fine mesh strainer then bringing to a boil with 1 cup water in a small saucepan (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size // use a 1:2 ratio dry quinoa to water). Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare salad ingredients by chopping vegetables, segmenting orange, and warming black beans and seasoning with salt, cumin, chili and garlic powder.
• Prepare dressing by adding all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blending until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added more hot sauce, orange juice and salt. TIP: if you prefer a vinaigrette, leave out the avocado and simply whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Either plate salad and serve with dressing on the side, or toss with dressing before serving. Pairs well with salsa, fresh lime juice and tortilla chips.
• Leftovers keep for up to a few days, though best when fresh.

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with dressing.

Nutrition (1 of 3 servings)

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 449Carbohydrates: 51 gProtein: 11 gFat: 25 gSaturated Fat: 3.9 gTrans Fat: 0 gCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 375 mgFiber: 12 gSugar: 11.6 g

CITRUS LIME VINAIGRETTE

Citrus lime vinaigrette is made from freshly squeezed oranges and limes along with chopped cilantro, finely diced jalapeno, olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s a vinaigrette recipe that’s spicy and sweet, tangy and tart. In other words, it’s packed with a whole lot of flavor!

This citrus lime vinaigrette will give any salad recipe and extra punch of flavor and I love it on my Pulled Pork, Cabbage and Arugula Salad.

VINAIGRETTE RECIPE WITH A KICK

This citrus lime vinagrette definitely has a little kick, thanks to the cilantro and jalapeno. For those of you who love Mexican food, you’ll love this vinaigrette as it has spicy flavors typically found in Mexican recipes, like my Guacamole, Carne Asada or Citrus Shrimp Ceviche.

TIPS FOR USING JALAPENO PEPPERS

Jalapeno pepper, a type of chili pepper, can range from mild to hot depending on what type of cultivar they are. But most of the capsaicin and spicy heat is concentrated in the light colored membrane and seeds.

• For less heat, remove the membrane and seeds before dicing
• For more heat, add some of the seeds back into the recipe

Either way, always be careful about handling jalapeno peppers and never touch your face or eyes as it will immediately burn. The oil from the jalapeno pepper can remain on your hands even after washing with soap and water.

HOW TO MAKE CITRUS LIME VINAIGRETTE

This citrus lime vinaigrette is easy to make. Just add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together! You can store it in the fridge for up to a week and if it starts to separate, just give it another shake before using.

• Level: Easy
• Total: 10 min
• Prep: 10 min
• Yield: 2 cups dressing, 12 servings

Ingredients

Deselect All

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

1/4 cup orange zest

1/8 cup sugar

Salt

Pinch white pepper

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound mixed greensAdd to Shopping List

Directions

1. Place lime juice, orange juice, honey, orange zest, and sugar in a large bowl. With a whisk in 1 hand and the oil in another, slowly begin to add the oil until it’s all gone. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. The finished product should look like it has significant body, taste semi-sweet and with a touch of tartness. Toss desired amount with mixed greens, and serve.