Name: Quinoa Beet Salad with Tuna
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10 people
Ingredients: 1 cup dried quinoa; 1 can kidney beans, (15.5 oz); 1 can corn, (15.25 oz); 3 raw beets, OR ( you can also buy boiled beets instead of doing it yourself); 3 cans albacore tuna, (each can should be 5 oz); 4 Tablespoons mayonaise; 3 Tablespoons mustard, divided; 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 4 Tablespoons olive oil; salt to taste; ground black pepper to taste; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Quinoa Beet Salad with Tuna recipe. A satisfying and filling protein-packed salad full of beets, beans, corn, quinoa, and tuna. Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free.

We're all about flavorful unique lighter salads like this tuna beet salad with quinoa. It’s full of texture, vitamins, antioxidants, and protein. Oh and it’s pink, which is an added bonus (thanks to the beets). This salad is great on it’s own, or added to a large mixed salad. It’s also a great dish to make as meal prep for the week.

If you love filling salads, check out our Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken, Lighter Kale Cobb Salad, or Simple Fall Harvest Salad. They are delish!

Why this recipe works

It is a protein powerhouse! Both quinoa and tuna are great sources of protein.
It is very filling.
Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and grain-free. It is considered a seed.
It is lighter. Quinoa is known for being helpful to fight against inflammation. Beets are full of vitamins and minerals.
Beets are full of vitamins and minerals… and they are tasty too! Try this beetroot risotto recipe by At the Immigrant’s Table for another fun way to cook with beets.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients needed to make tuna beet salad.

Quinoa– make sure to use a good quality beige colored quinoa.
Canned kidney beans– you can use whatever kind or brand that you prefer.
Canned corn– make sure there is no added sugar.
Canned tuna– use your favorite brand.
Beets ( raw or boiled)– you can boil them yourself or buy them pre-boiled.
Mayonnaise– use whatever kind of mayo that works in your diet.
Mustard– we like using dijon here.
Apple cider vinegar– this is used to make the dressing.
Olive oil– a good quality olive oil works great for the dressing here.
Dried parsley, garlic powder, dried basil– these help season the salad.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step by step instructions

Step 1

Step 1: Boil the beets. Slice up the raw beets, put them into a pot, and cover them with water. Then cook them until they are soft, like 25 minutes.

Note: If you are buying them already boiled or steamed, you can skip this step! ( we love the boiled beets that you can get at Trader Joes)

Step 2

Step 2: Once the beets have cooled, dice them up.

Step 3: Cook the quinoa.

You can follow the instructions on your bag of quinoa, but we find that if you are cooking 1 cup of quinoa, it cooks great with 2 cups of water.

Note: make sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking it to make it more fluffy.

Step 4

Step 4: Mix the tuna, mayo, and mustard together in a large bowl.

Step 5: Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, dried basil and dried parsley.

Quinoa Beet Salad with Tuna in a large bowl.

Step 6

Step 6: Add the quinoa, corn, beans, and beets to the bowl with the tuna and mix. Then, add the dressing to the bowl and mix again.

Recipe FAQs

How do you serve this salad?

This salad is wonderful on it’s own in a bowl. You could serve it on a plate with other veggies like shredded carrots or bell peppers to the salad. You could also stuff bell peppers or tomatoes with this salad. This is our personal favorite.

Do you have to boil the beets yourself?

No, you can buy boiled beets at the store.

How do you get quinoa to be fluffy?

Rinse it with water before cooking it.

Quinoa Beet Salad in a plate with veggies and fruit.

Tuna quinoa salad on a plate with veggies and fruit.

Prep 15 minutesCook 25 minutesTotal 40 minutesMakes 10 people

Ingredients

1 cup dried quinoa
1 can kidney beans, (15.5 oz)
1 can corn, (15.25 oz)
3 raw beets, OR ( you can also buy boiled beets instead of doing it yourself)
3 cans albacore tuna, (each can should be 5 oz)
4 Tablespoons mayonaise
3 Tablespoons mustard, divided
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Method

If you are going to cook the beets yourself, cut the beets into 3 pieces, and place them into a large pot. Make sure each slice is touching the bottom of the pot. Add water to the pot until all the beets are covered. Boil the water and cook the beets for 25 minutes, or until you can stab the beets easily with a knife.
While the beets are cooking, cook the quinoa. Add 1 cup of quinoa to a pot, along with 2 cups of water and then simmer the quinoa until it is cooked through and the water has evaporated (15-20 minutes).
Add the tuna to a large bowl, and mix it while cutting it up into smaller pieces with a fork. Add 4 Tablespoons of mayo, and 2 Tablespoons of mustard and mix it into the tuna.
Drain and wash the canned corn and beans, and add them to the bowl.
Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl.
Dice the cooked/boiled beets and add them to the bowl.
Mix well everything in the bowl together.
Then make your dressing. Mix 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp dried parsley to the bowl and mix well. Pour it into the bowl on top of the quinoa beet salad.
Add salt and pepper to taste to the salad and mix everything together one last time.

Notes

If you are buying beets already boiled or steamed, you can skip the step in this recipe where you boil them. ( we love the boiled beets that you can get at Trader Joes)
Make sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking it to make it more fluffy.