• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sidewalk Shoes
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Food Recipes Index
    • Cocktails Recipes Index
    • All Recipes
  • Lifestyle
    • Gardening
    • Travels
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • Tennessee
  • Cats
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Food
  • Cocktails
  • Collections
  • Travels
  • Cats
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Salad Recipes

    Spicy Bean and Quinoa Salad with "Mole" Vinaigrette

    LAST UPDATED: September 23, 2024 PUBLISHED: June 6, 2014 By Pam Greer 10 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This spicy bean and quinoa salad with "mole" vinaigrette is so unusual and delicious.  No one can guess what the dressing is made from!  Post may contain affiliate links. 

    Spicy Bean and Quinoa Salad with Mole Vinaigrette - so light and delicious!

    I am not a vegetarian.  There is nothing I like better than a perfectly cooked ribeye.   However, like many of you, I do try to limit my intake of meat.  So, an occasional meatless meal works it's way onto my weekly menu.  Let me just say that if all of my endeavors into meatless eating ended like this one, I might give the whole vegetarian thing a little more thought.

    This was wonderful.  It was super easy and the "Mole" vinaigrette gave it such a wonderful flavor.  You couldn't quite tell what the flavor was, you just knew that it was good.  I found this recipe at Cooking Light - Spicy Bean and Quinoa Salad with "Mole Vinaigrette.

    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 30 votes

    Spicy Bean and Quinoa Salad with “Mole” Vinaigrette

    Bean and quinoa bring plenty of protein to this salad, while the "mole" vinaigrette adds spice! 
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Mexican
    Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 268kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon orange zest grated
    • ¾ teaspoon cocoa unsweetened
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
    • 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature
    • ½ cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels pepitas, toasted
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 green onions thinly sliced
    • 1 Fresno chile or jalapeño pepper very thinly sliced
    • 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
    • 4 cups baby spinach leaves

    Instructions

    • Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl slowly add oil, whisking as you pour.
    • Combine quinoa and next 6 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add spinach; toss to combine.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 1005mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2016IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg

    More Salad Recipes

    • Nicoise tuna salad on a rustic plate.
      Tuna Nicoise Salad
    • Cranberry salad dressing drizzled on a salad.
      Cranberry Salad Dressing
    • Close up of fall panzanella salad on a green plate.
      Fall Panzanella Salad
    • Seared salmon on a bed of romaine lettuce.
      Salmon Caesar Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John says

      October 23, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      You omitted the 1 tsp grated orange rind and 3/4 tsp unsweetened cocoa from the original Cooking Light recipe. The cocoa is essential for the "Mole".

      Reply
      • Pam Greer says

        October 23, 2023 at 6:26 pm

        Thank you!! I just added them!

        Reply
    2. Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says

      July 16, 2015 at 1:43 pm

      This looks and sound delicious! My husband are the same way, we aren't prepared to completely give up meat, so we try to moderate it, and have fallen in love with a number of vegetarian and vegan recipes.

      Reply
    3. Deb in Hawaii says

      June 15, 2014 at 6:39 pm

      You snuck this one by me last week but I added it to the Souper Sundays roundup today--thanks for sharing. 😉 Your salad looks wonderful--I love the sound of that vinaigrette and it looks so satisfying too.

      Reply
    4. grace says

      June 09, 2014 at 8:39 pm

      i sure do like recipes with only two steps in the instructions part, and this one is healthy too! awesome!

      Reply
    5. sippitysup says

      June 08, 2014 at 6:14 pm

      I like the new look for both the blog and the quinoa. GREG

      Reply
    6. Marjie says

      June 06, 2014 at 6:55 pm

      It's always good to find something a little different for dinner. I think I"d like this as a side.

      Reply
    7. Barbara says

      June 06, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      That looks pretty good...considering I am NOT a quinoa fan. (which is an understatement.)
      Love the new look...
      Been meaning to ask if you are an addict of http://www.simonscat.com/ because my daughter is. Today she sent me suitcase. Funny.

      Reply
    8. a quiet life says

      June 06, 2014 at 8:47 am

      drats, you are not coming i on my feeds anymore 🙁

      Reply
    9. Joanne says

      June 06, 2014 at 6:33 am

      I somehow missed this salad in the April issue!! Definitely will be trying it!

      Reply
    5 from 30 votes (30 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

    More about me →

    Featured in:

    Collage of website titles

    Sheet Pan Suppers

    • Close up of chicken and vegetables on a sheet pan.
      Honey Balsamic Chicken
    • Tray Baked Salmon and Green Beans
    • Close up of roasted sausages and vegetables.
      Sheet Pan Roasted Sausage and Vegetables
    • Two photos of sheet pan dinners with text overlay.
      15 Easy and Delicious Sheet Pan Dinners
    See more Sheet Pan Suppers →

    Instant Pot

    • Two bowls with toppings of peppers, sauce, tomatoes, cilantro and more.
      Instant Pot Chickpea Mediterranean Bowl
    • Close up of a bowl of black beans topped with cilantro salsa.
      Easy Instant Pot Black Beans
    • Bowl of pineapple rice garnished with cilantro.
      Instant Pot Pineapple Rice
    • Bowl of pork noodle soup topped with radishes and green onions.
      Instant Pot Asian Pork Noodle Soup
    See more Instant Pot →

    Sidewalk Shoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me
    • Contact me!

    Disclaimer

    Website Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2024 Sidewalk Shoes

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.