Quinoa Black Bean Salad With Mango

This quinoa salad with black beans, mango, and herby cilantro is a filling meal prep lunch full of a lot taste! It’s simply contemporary components mixed with nutty quinoa in a easy however zesty crimson wine French dressing dressing.

Who else likes to cook dinner as soon as and revel in ready-to-eat lunches throughout the week? Similar! This is the reason you must also do that make-ahead-friendly chickpea salad, bulgur salad, and dense bean salad.

Quinoa black bean salad in a large stoneware serving bowl.

Immediately’s quinoa black bean salad jogs my memory a whole lot of my Southwest quinoa salad, this time with juicy mango chunks and a contemporary, zesty crimson wine French dressing because the dressing. It’s plant-based and simple to make, both on the day or forward of serving. The recipe is tremendous versatile, too, so when you have veggies within the fridge that you just’re trying to make use of, this would possibly simply be your subsequent meal!

Why I’m Loving This Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Layers of taste. This salad has creamy black beans, savory tomatoes, and citrusy cilantro, tossed with nutty quinoa in a easy dressing. The flavors actually shine in each chew.
Contemporary components. I like juicy, sweet-tart mango recipes like my mango hen, guacamole, and the mango salsa in my salmon tacos. It brings the identical scrumptious power to this quinoa salad with black beans.
Made for meal prep. This quinoa black bean salad retains within the fridge for days, and it’s nice for packed lunches, potlucks, events, and nearly any meal you possibly can consider.

Ingredients for Quinoa Black Bean Salad.

Substances You’ll Want

These are the components I add to my black bean quinoa salad. I wish to get a superb number of flavors and textures. Scroll to the recipe card after the publish for the printable recipe with the total ingredient quantities and directions.

Quinoa – You can also make this salad with white, crimson, black, or tri-colored quinoa. You might must rinse the quinoa earlier than you cook dinner it, see under. Boil-in-a-bag quinoa is completely okay to make use of.
Mango – Peeled and diced. Select a ripe mango that yields a little bit if you squeeze it (just like an avocado). Additionally, give it a sniff near the stem. Ripe mangos will odor candy and fruity!
Tomato – Diced. I like to recommend eradicating the seeds from the tomato for greatest outcomes. You can even use cherry or grape tomatoes as a substitute, during which case, merely halve them and skip the seeding step.
Scallions – Trim off the ends earlier than slicing up the scallions. You would additionally use one other gentle salad onion, like diced candy Vidalia onion, crimson onion, or inexperienced onion.
Contemporary Cilantro – If you happen to’re delicate to cilantro, be at liberty to substitute it with parsley, basil, mint, or one other contemporary herb of your selecting.
Black Beans – If you happen to’re utilizing canned beans, rinse them beneath chilly water and drain them effectively afterward. You may swap black beans with pinto beans should you’d like.
Oil, Vinegar, and Salt – I make a easy French dressing dressing with olive oil, crimson wine vinegar, and salt. That’s it! Swap crimson wine vinegar for white wine vinegar or cider vinegar if wanted.

Quinoa black bean salad in a large serving bowl with salad tongs.

Why Rinse Quinoa?

A number of store-bought quinoa comes pre-rinsed, but when yours doesn’t, you’ll want to clean the quinoa beneath chilly water earlier than you begin. Lengthy story quick, quinoa has a pure coating, referred to as saponin, which might make the grains style bitter. To rinse the quinoa, add it to a nice mesh strainer and go it beneath working water earlier than you boil it.

bowls of quinoa salad with black beans and mango.

Quinoa Salad FAQs

What else can I add to this salad?

Get inventive with completely different add-ins and components! Strive including diced avocado, bell peppers, candy corn, feta cheese, or chopped pecans or walnuts.

Can I take advantage of one other dressing?

Certain! If you happen to’d like to alter up the dressing to your quinoa salad, I’d counsel Italian dressing or, for a creamy choice, strive avocado dressing.

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Prompt Pot – This makes cooking quinoa tremendous fast and simple. Simply 1 minute beneath strain and also you’re achieved.
Pot with Lid – If you happen to’re cooking the quinoa on the stovetop, you’ll want a sturdy pot.
High quality Mesh Strainer – For rinsing quinoa earlier than cooking. This helps take away the pure bitterness.
Mixing Bowls – One for the dressing, one for the salad. I like utilizing a big bowl to present the whole lot room to combine.

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Prepare dinner the quinoa.** Rinse your quinoa beneath chilly working water. Place it within the bowl of an Prompt Pot together with 1 1/2 cups water. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Seal and cook dinner on MANUAL for 1 minute on excessive strain. As soon as your Prompt Pot beeps, let it do a pure launch for 10 minutes, then rigorously launch the remaining steam. Fluff your cooked quinoa with a fork, then put aside to chill.
Make the French dressing dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, kosher salt, and crimson wine vinegar. Put aside.
Assemble the salad. In a big bowl, mix the cooled quinoa with the mango, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and black beans. Give the dressing one other fast whisk, then pour it over the salad and gently combine the salad with a big spoon.
Serve. Let the salad sit for quarter-hour in order that the quinoa can take in a few of the taste from the dressing, then serve. You may serve this salad heat or chilly, whichever is less complicated.

** If you happen to don’t have an Prompt Pot, you possibly can cook dinner your quinoa on the range as follows: Place 1 cup of rinsed quinoa in a medium pot together with 2 cups of water and a pinch of kosher salt. Carry to a boil over medium warmth, then cut back to low, cowl, and simmer for quarter-hour. Take away from the warmth and let the pot sit for 10 extra minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and put aside to chill.

Dietary information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in response to the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.

Stovetop Technique

Add the quinoa, 2 cups of water, and salt to a pot. Carry the pot to a boil, then simmer over low warmth for quarter-hour. Afterward, take the pot off the warmth and let it sit for 10 minutes whereas the remaining liquid absorbs.

Overhead view of quinoa black bean salad in a large serving bowl with salad tongs. By diethood.com

Storage Ideas

Retailer leftover quinoa black bean salad in a coated container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. It’s nice to take alongside for lunch on busy days or make forward for a celebration. I wish to stretch this salad even additional and blend it with leafy greens, like kale, spinach, or arugula.