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Elote quinoa salad with corn, black beans, quinoa, peppers, cotija cheese, and chile-lime dressing

Elote Style Quinoa Salad with Mexican Street Corn Flavor

Elote quinoa salad is a fresh, hearty bowl with fluffy quinoa, crisp vegetables, creamy chile-lime dressing, and a savory cotija finish. It is a flavorful option for gatherings, meal prep, or an easy homemade meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Calories: 317
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

salad
  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 5 ears sweet corn, cut off the cob
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 package mini sweet peppers, sliced into small rings (about 2-3 cups)
  • olive oil for cooking
  • 1 lime
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
dressing
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
  • juice and zest of two limes
topping
  • 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Cook quinoa and prepare the remaining ingredients.
  2. Add a generous amount of olive oil to a skillet and cook the pepper rings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until very soft and roasted. Add a little lime juice to the pan to loosen the browned bits after cooking.
Dressing
  1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Assembly
  1. Combine or arrange the quinoa, corn, beans, peppers, and cilantro in a bowl just before serving. Add the dressing and cotija cheese on top.

Notes

Add the dressing and cheese close to serving to help maintain the best texture of the salad components.