• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MOMables® Healthy Lunches for Kids
  • MEAL PLANS
    • Weekly Family Meal Plan
    • Teaching Your Kids to Cook
    • 7-Day Family Reset
    • Meatless Meal Plan
    • Pantry Staples Meal Plan
    • Free Picky Eaters eCourse
  • Cookbooks
    • 101 Packed Lunches
    • Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner
    • Intermittent Fasting eBook
    • Meal Prep’d
    • More Cookbooks
  • Recipe Index
  • Healthy Lunches
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Lunch Ideas
  • 101 Lunches
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Lunch Boxes
  • Cookbooks
  • Dinner Meal Plan
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Lunch Ideas
  • 101 Lunches
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Lunch Boxes
  • Cookbooks
  • Dinner Meal Plan
  • Contact
×

Southwest Quinoa Salad | Quick Kids Lunch Idea

by Laura Fuentes

October 1, 2021
updated Jul 11, 2023
5 from 17 votes
Mix some nutritious, protein-packed quinoa with veggies and delicious Mexican spices in this vegetarian Southwest Quinoa. Use the leftovers for lunch!
Jump to Recipe

All the articles & recipes on this website have been created through real-life testing and experience (no ai) since 2010. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Mix some nutritious, protein-packed quinoa with veggies and delicious Mexican spices in this vegetarian Southwest Quinoa Salad.

If you’re a long-time reader, you know how much I love repurposing meals – it’s like a two-for-one! That’s why I love dinner recipes that can be easily packed in the lunch boxes for the kids (and for me at the office). In fact, most of my best, healthy lunch ideas come straight from our dinner table the night before!

Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested

Quick Southwest Quinoa Salad Lunch

This quinoa salad is made with taco spices and filled with protein and veggies. Everything is chopped up finely, and kids love the sweetness of the corn, the fresh salsa, and of course, the fact that they can eat this healthy lunch with CHIPS.

And it takes less than 30 minutes to cook- yes, please! It’s a great vegetarian dinner option that’s full of protein and nutrition from quinoa and black beans. Once everyone’s done eating, I can pack the leftovers up in lunch boxes with some fresh fruits, veggies, and tortilla chips as a treat, and we’re good to go!

It’s amazing how many fewer complaints I get from my picky eaters when I let them use corn chips and serve up veggies on top. The same little trick works with my homemade nachos.

How to Pack Southwest Quinoa for Lunch

If you’re prepping this salad ahead of time, it will most likely be cold in the fridge when you go to pack it for lunch. Good thing this recipe can be enjoyed chilled or warmed-up, and below I show you how to pack it both ways in a lunchbox: 

Pack it warm
Warm the quinoa salad in the microwave then transfer it to a thermos container and top with cheese and avocado, if desired.

Pack it chilled
Transfer the chilled quinoa salad into a lunch container and top with the cheese and avocado. Place it in an insulated lunch bag and add an ice pack to keep it fresh.

Don’t forget the dressing
Pack the dressing in a mini sauce container and drizzle over the salad prior to eating.

Need a lunch container or thermos to pack more recipes like this for lunch? You’ll find several of my top choices in this post.

Learn how to make this simple recipe in the video below:

If you want to make more fresh and delicious school lunches, then you will love what’s inside my 101 Packed Lunches eBook.

It has over a hundred ideas for kid-friendly epic school lunches likes soups, pasta, wraps, and salads that adults would enjoy too!

101 Packed Lunches eBook

All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child’s lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!

Grab the Book!

Other Quinoa Recipes for Kids

Quinoa is high in protein, gluten-free, and makes a great replacement for rice or potatoes on your child’s plate. I love getting creative with Quinoa and finding new ways to insert it into family favorite recipes like:

  • Cheesy Quinoa Bites
  • Cranberry Quinoa Salad
  • Mini Pizza Bites
  • Quinoa Mac and Cheese
  • Veggie Quinoa Salad
  • Quinoa Raisin Muffins

After trying these recipes, you just might hear your kids say “more quinoa please!” for the first time ever!

For this Southwest Quinoa, sometimes I even double the recipe so I’m guaranteed leftovers. Because when I can make mealtime a little easier, I go for it!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Laura Fuentes
5 from 17 votes
Mix some nutritious, protein-packed quinoa with veggies and delicious Mexican spices in this vegetarian Southwest Quinoa. Use the leftovers for lunch!
Servings: 4
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 173 g quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups 470 g water
  • ¾ cup 195 g jarred salsa
  • 1 teaspoon 2.6 g chipotle chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon 2.5 g ground cumin
  • 1 cup 130 g frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 15- ounce 425 g can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup 4 g finely chopped cilantro
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Bring the water to a boil, then stir in the quinoa, lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and turn off heat.
  • Cover and let sit for 6 minutes - you'll know the quinoa is ready when you see the little white "tail" of the germ around the outside edge of each seed.
  • Once quinoa is done, add salsa, chili powder, and cumin, fold to combine well. Stir in the corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Fold a few times until thoroughly combined.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Pack the dressing into mini sauce containers or add it to the salad and toss to combine.
  • Serve with avocado and cheese and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.

Notes

For school lunch: Pack leftovers in a container or lunchbox. This salad is great eaten cold or at room temperature as well.

Equipment

The Best Homemade Kids' Lunches on the Planet
Kids Lunch Box

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 543kcalCarbohydrates: 70.5gProtein: 24.5gFat: 20.4gSaturated Fat: 7.6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 31.9mgSodium: 1797.4mgFiber: 16.6gSugar: 9.8g
Like this recipe?Rate and leave a comment below

More Recipes

  • peanut butter and jelly roll ups in a lunchbox with berries
    Pinwheel Sandwich Recipes for the School Lunchbox
  • strawberry peanut butter sandwich
    Strawberry Peanut Butter Sandwich
  • peanut butter pickle sandwich
    Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich
  • Fluffernutter sandwich
    Fluffernutter Sandwich

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Joanna

    May 13, 2022 at 2:45 pm

    5 stars
    The ingredients says frozen corn and in recipe, it just days add it to the cooked quinoa? Do you eat the corn uncooked and frozen?

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      May 13, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      It’s frozen corn that’s been thawed.

      Reply
  2. Cupcakes

    April 21, 2019 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    The ingredients list doesn’t include the yogurt, lime juice, salt and pepper, but they are listed in the recipe instructions. How much of each do you use?

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      April 24, 2019 at 11:45 am

      Hi! The recipe has been updated and now it includes the proper directions and ingredient amounts for the dressing. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Dana

    October 28, 2016 at 8:51 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe looks like something I’d like to make. It’s healthy. I was wondering if I can omit corn. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Emilie Hebert

      October 31, 2016 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      Of course! You can leave it out or sub it for something else – perhaps green peas.

      Reply
    • MOMables

      November 10, 2016 at 11:53 am

      You can absolutely omit the corn.

      Reply
  4. Maureen

    March 29, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t read what to do with the yogurt mixture after you mix it up. Do you use it like sour cream on top or does it get mixed in to quinoa mixture?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 31, 2016 at 11:28 am

      Sorry the directions didn’t say! Mix it into the quinoa mixture.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Easiest Taco Night Recipe Ever! - Baked Tacos | Laura Fuentes says:
    April 30, 2020 at 12:24 PM

    […] Southwest Quinoa Salad […]

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Laura Fuentes, founder of MOMables wearing a yellow shirt and looking at the camera smiling

Hi, I'm Laura! I help you make healthy lunches and meals your kids will love, with simple and tasty recipes.

I need lunch ideas! →

Fresh Favorites

  • collage o f four bento boxes
    Bento Boxes for Kids’ Lunches 101
  • Protein & Fruit Bento Box For Kids
  • Guacamole and Protein Bento
  • a collage of healthy school lunch ideas for teens
    Healthy School Lunch Ideas for Teens

Popular Now

  • a collage of sandwiches in lunchboxes
    How to Pack a Sandwich for Lunch
  • Peanut Butter Sandwich Ideas
  • Healthy Alternatives to Lunchables
  • 8 Healthy Wraps for School Lunch

Footer

Lunchbox Builder

Download here!

Healthy Lunches

  • School Lunches
  • 101 Lunch Ideas eBook
  • Thermos Lunches
  • What's a Bento?

Resources

  • Contact
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • YouTube Channel

Privacy | Permissions | Membership Terms

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES