Quinoa Black Bean Salad {with Mango & Avocado}
User Reviews
5
Quinoa Black Bean Salad {with Mango & Avocado}
Description
The Quinoa Black Bean Salad {with Mango & Avocado} features well-cooked and cooled quinoa as a base, providing a light and nutty component. It’s combined with protein-rich black beans, fresh mango cubes, ripe avocado, crisp red bell pepper, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro. The dressing blends lime juice, honey, olive oil, cumin, ground ginger, and optional cayenne pepper to add tang, sweetness, spice, and depth.
The salad’s textures range from the tender quinoa and creamy avocado to the crisp bell pepper and fresh onions, while the mango adds bursts of juicy sweetness. The lime and honey dressing adds vibrancy and balances the earthy beans and quinoa. The optional cayenne offers a subtle heat if desired.
Prepared quinoa is cooled before combining, as this helps maintain the fresh texture of the salad. It’s recommended to consume the salad relatively soon after preparation (within an hour or two) to prevent the avocado from browning and the ingredients releasing excess moisture, which could affect texture and appearance.
The recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth and maple syrup for honey. This versatile salad can serve as a light meal or side dish, appreciated for its combination of sweet and savory flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa dry
- 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth low-sodium
- salt
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lime juice fresh
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 black beans drained and rinsed, canned
- 1 Mango peeled, cored and diced, medium
- 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion sliced
- 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado semi-firm but ripe), cored and diced, medium
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a medium saucepan along with chicken broth and 1/4 cup water and season lightly with salt to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until water has been absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes. Let cool*.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, cumin, ginger and cayenne pepper.
- In a large bowl or salad bowl toss together quinoa, black beans, mango, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, avocado and dressing.
- Season with salt to taste and serve.
Notes
- Cool quinoa quickly by transferring it to a bowl and periodically tossing in the freezer before combining with other ingredients.
- Consume the salad within one to two hours to prevent avocado browning and maintain texture.
- For a vegan version, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth and honey with maple syrup.
- Leftover quinoa can be used and may improve absorption of the dressing flavors.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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