Quinoa, Corn, and Black Bean Salad with Tempeh and Creamy Cilantro Dressing
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This quinoa, corn, and black bean salad with tempeh and creamy cilantro dressing is remarkably rich in plant protein, color, fiber, and great nutrition. It’s also hearty, crowd-pleasing, and delicious! The salad can be meal prepped in stages, then mixed when you’re ready for a meal-sized salad or for serving friends.

An overhead image of a colorful corn, black bean, and tempeh salad with mixed vegetables and a creamy dressing. It is served in a large white bowl.

While I was in grad school, an ex-boyfriend and I had a tradition of having a hearty dinner salad at some point each weekend.

It was a way to enjoy a low-stress, adaptable weekend meal together and to clear out the fridge at the same time.

Inevitably, I’d have some cooked grains, a protein of some sort, and various vegetables that needed using up by Friday.

By throwing them all into a giant mixing bowl with a good vinaigrette or other salad dressing, I could put dinner on the table easily and avoid waste at the same time.

The quinoa, corn, and black bean salad with tempeh that I’m sharing today originated back then. It was hearty and filling enough to keep both of us happy, and we loved the diversity of flavors, textures, and colors in our bowls.

Over time, the dietitian in me has come to love the fact that this meal is protein-packed, thanks to a variety of vegan protein sources. I love its rich offerings of iron and dietary fiber, too.

And, of course, I love the way that the salad tastes. Let’s get into it!

A powerful trio of plant protein

One of the biggest shifts for new plant-based eaters to wrap their minds around is that protein needs will sometimes be met through a variety of combined sources, rather than a single source.

If you grew up relying on a piece of meat or chicken on the dinner plate for protein, as I did, this can be an adjustment!

I have an entire blog post dedicated to combinations of protein-rich plant foods, which can help you to meet protein needs seamlessly.

Some of the most impactful of these are beans, quinoa, and soy foods, including tempeh.

This quinoa, corn, and black bean salad with tempeh and creamy cilantro dressing boasts all three of those ingredients.

Even the dressing for this salad is rich in protein. It’s a base of creamy silken tofu, which is blended up till smooth along with cilantro, red onion, and other seasonings.

The result is a plant-based salad that can truly serve as a meal, whether you’re relying on it for a meal prep lunch or a low-key, Friday supper.

A single cube of lemon pepper baked tempeh is pierced with a serving fork.

Lemon pepper tempeh wins all hearts

If you’ve not had tempeh before, then you may be unsure about how best to prepare it or use it in recipes.

My answer is that tempeh benefits from a good marinade, it develops a firm, nicely crisp texture when it’s baked, and my lemon pepper tempeh cubes are a really good place to start.

In the years since I first posted my recipe for them, the cubes have become one of the most popular tempeh recipes on my blog.

Even folks who are new to cooking tempeh love them!

In this black bean salad recipe, the tempeh cubes join more familiar components: corn, romaine, peppers, black beans, and quinoa.

The salad has become one of my favorite uses for a favorite vegan basic protein.

The Vegan Week

Embrace the joy of eating homemade food every day with the hearty and wholesome recipes in The Vegan Week.

Whether you have three, two, or even just one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will show you how to batch cook varied, colorful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.

How to make quinoa, corn, and black bean salad with tempeh

This salad does entail a number of preparation steps, but it’s not too hard to work through them one-by-one.

If you’re doing vegan meal prep for a busy week, you can break the process into as many chunks of time as you need to.

Here’s how it all unfolds.

Cubes of tempeh are marinating in a rectangular dish.
The lemon pepper tempeh cubes will need to marinate for at least two hours before baking, so plan accordingly!

Step 1: Prepare the tempeh cubes

The tempeh cube preparation can itself be broken down into a few steps:

  • Steam the tempeh (this reduces any potential bitter or earthy flavor—highly recommended!)
  • Marinate the tempeh (2+ hours)
  • Bake the tempeh

Baking should take less than 30 minutes, but the steaming and marinating steps do take some time. Plan accordingly.

The tempeh can be prepared up to four days in advance of mixing the salad.

Step 2: Simmer and cook your quinoa

Over the years, I’ve settled on a tried-and-true way of cooking 1 cup of quinoa so that it’s fluffy and light.

My method is always the same! Here goes:

  • Combine the quinoa with 1 3/4 cups of water in a medium sized pot
  • Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot
  • Simmer the quinoa, covered, for 13 minutes, or until all of the water has absorbed into the grain
  • Remove the pot from heat and let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes
  • Fluff the quinoa lightly with a fork, cover it again, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes

Boom.

Quinoa can easily become gluey from over-cooking or too much water. This method will prevent that outcome, yet ensure that your quinoa is still lovely and moist.

An overhead image of a silver saucepan, which is filled with fluffy, cooked quinoa.
Thirteen minutes of stovetop simmering, a five minute resting period off heat, and some fluffing with a fork will ensure tender, perfectly cooked quinoa each time.

Step 3: Blend the dressing

The black bean salad features a light, creamy, and most delightful dressing!

I love silken tofu. It offers all of the same benefits as firm tofu, but its texture is silky smooth and delicate. As a result, it can be easily blended into sauces or smoothies.

In the case of this recipe, silken tofu is added to a powerful blender along with lime juice, shallot, olive oil, and cilantro.

The resulting dressing should have a very pale green color and a tart, yet mild flavor. You can adjust the seasonings to taste and add some crushed red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

Step 4: Combine ingredients and mix well!

The last step in preparing the black bean salad is nice and easy: mix everything, dressing, mix again, and enjoy!

When dressing any “busy” salad, like this one, I start by coating the salad with just enough dressing to cover everything.

I taste the salad, and then if I need more dressing, I’ll add it accordingly. It’s always better to start by under-dressing a salad, rather than overdressing. You can always add, but you can’t subtract!

At this point, the salad is ready to serve or store.

Meal prep & storage

The quinoa, tempeh, and dressing can all be prepared up to four days in advance of mixing and serving this hearty black bean salad.

You can also freeze those components for up to six weeks. Translation: you’ve got plenty of time to make this one in advance if you plan to serve it to friends for entertaining.

Once mixed, the salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Alternative dressing options

I tend to believe that the dressing makes the salad. With this in mind, I’ll offer you some of my favorite alternative dressings for this flavor-packed, meal-sized salad.

Each one of them will give your meal a slightly different flavor profile and character!

An overhead image of a colorful corn, black bean, and tempeh salad with mixed vegetables and a creamy dressing. It is served in a large white bowl.
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Quinoa, Corn, and Black Bean Salad with Tempeh and Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Author – Gena Hamshaw
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Tempeh marinating time 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed (180g)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 batch lemon pepper baked tempeh cubes
  • 1/4-1/2 cup finely diced red onion (35-70g; adjust to taste)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels (195g, or 1 15-ounce / 425g can, drained; you can also use frozen corn and cook as directed, or you can use boiled fresh corn kernels)
  • 1 cup peeled and diced cucumber (130g)
  • 1 cup diced bell pepper (150g)
  • 4 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce (170g)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems (10g)

Creamy Cilantro Dressing:

  • 8 ounces silken tofu
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced shallot (35g)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems (10g)

Instructions

  • Combine the quinoa with 1 3/4 cups of water in a medium sized pot. Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the quinoa, covered, for 13 minutes, or until all of the water has absorbed into the grain. Remove the pot from heat and let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa lightly with a fork, cover it again, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
  • Combine all of the creamy cilantro dressing ingredients in a powerful blender and blend until they're smooth.
  • Combine the cooked quinoa, lemon pepper tempeh cubes, black beans, onion, corn, cucumber, bell pepper, romaine, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Add enough dressing to coat the salad well. Taste the salad and add dressing or adjust salt, lime juice, or freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve.

Hope you enjoy the recipe! And if you make any tasty modifications, I’d love to hear about them.

xo

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Categories: Recipes, Salads, Meal Sized Salads
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Ingredients: Black Beans, Quinoa, Tempeh
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan

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    18 Comments
  1. I made this for my family tonight and it was a huge hit. Added diced avocado because the kids are huge fans. THe tempeh was a bit sour but I didn’t measure exactly so my faulty. YUM. Will be adding this to the rotation. Also had fresh corn that I cut off the cob, tossed with EVOO, Sea salt, chili powder and roasted it in the oven while the tempeh baked and it was delish added in there. A smokey sweetness and a hint of spice. Thanks!

  2. I really like the sound of this salad – it has everything! Beans, veggies, tempeh – perfect combo. I would prefer tempeh myself, but my hubby will like trying the beyond meat version =)

    • Hey Helen,

      You could try soaked cashews (I’d say 2/3 cup before soaking) or 1/2 large avocado instead. You may need to adjust the liquid a bit — but the texture should work!

      Gena

  3. Oooh, that is such a nice tradition that you and Steven have! It sounds like something my boyfriend and I would do too, but we unfortunately don’t live in the same city. Maybe salad dates over Skype? That could work. I’ve never tried Beyond Meat but I am a huge fan of tempeh. I love how summery this salad is! Sidenote: I also really like your plates!

    • Gen, salad dates over Skype sounds like one of the nicest long distance relationship routines I could think of! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. I love cilantro so I can’t wait to try this dressing! Do you have any recommendations for substitutions for the tofu? Do you think I could use an avocado instead?

    • Hey Sarah! I think avocado would definitely work, but I think you’ll either need to start with half of one or add more liquid (if you use a whole one). I find that avocado is an awesome dressing base, but it does create a super fluffy, thick texture, which may or may not be what you want. Let me know how it goes ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Wow this looks great! I will be trying it soon. So much protein! I always am looking for ways to use tempeh too bc left to my own devices I tend to only use tofu (I like it best). This is a good tempeh recipe to try!

    Also, I made your palak paneer from Food 52 on Sunday and it was awesome! Added mushrooms because I couldn’t help myself.

    • Oh, so glad that you liked it, Amy! I bet that the mushrooms added lots of umami and texture…yum ๐Ÿ™‚

      • I never reported back that I did indeed try this recipe a while ago and I loved it, just found this comment when I came back here to make it again- it’s on the docket for dinner tomorrow night! This is reminding me to make the palak paneer again too- that tofu was awesome.

  6. This look heavenly! & the perfect dish for the last month of summer ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. I love that it’s bursting with colours and I’m already imagining the different texture you got in there! I’m thinking of substituting Burmese Chickpea Tofu as I’m not exactly a big fan of tofus. I wonder if that will work.

  8. That sounds delicious. It’s got a bit of everything, and is certainly packed with veggies! I look forward to trying out the recipe, thanks for sharing.

  9. Hi Gena! This salad looks delicious and has all my favorite ingredients! Being new to veganism, I worry about getting enough protein. I am so making this!