This Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad is so easy to throw together and makes both a great side dish, or main dish. It contains cooked quinoa, mixed with canned black beans, juicy mango, crunchy red bell pepper, along with some cilantro and green onion. Everything is dressed with a simple red wine vinegar and lime juice mixture that’s tangy in all the right ways. This is one of my favorite dishes to meal prep because it lasts in the fridge for days and easily pairs with so many proteins.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Quinoa – Look for quinoa near the other grains. I recommend white quinoa for this recipe because it has the most mild flavor and fluffiest texture. Red and black varieties tend to be a little chewier and stronger in flavor, but if you like those, you could certainly use them here.
- Cooking liquid of choice – Water, veggie broth, or chicken broth would all work.
- Canned black beans
- Mango – This recipe calls for 1 medium-large mango (around 12 oz) which should yield you about 1 cup chopped fruit. If you purchase a smaller variety, you will want to grab a couple. If fresh mangos are absolutely not an option, you might have luck with some defrosted frozen mango if they were nice and sweet when frozen!
- Red bell pepper – I like the contrast of red pepper with the yellow mango, but yellow or orange bell pepper would work just fine as well. I would avoid green bell peppers and they have a different flavor profile.
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt and black pepper
How to Make Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad
- Cook and cool quinoa.
- Combine cooked quinoa, washed and drained black beans, red bell pepper, mango, cilantro, and green onions in a large bowl.
- Whisk together dressing of red wine vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil and toss everything together.
- Season with Salt and Pepper
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5-7 days for best results.
- This makes a great side dish, or prep-ahead lunch. We love pairing this with grilled chicken or steak for dinner and I love it chilled with leftover chopped steak the next day! Would also be great paired with seafood.
- A Note About Quinoa: Quinoa has a natural coating that can make it taste bitter when cooked, which is why the instructions here recommend rinsing. Some brands are pre-washed for you. Just check the cooking instructions on your quinoa before adding it to the cooking liquid. When in doubt, an extra rinse will never hurt!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use anything else in place of the quinoa?
Cous cous, brown rice, or amaranth would probably work well here.
What if I can’t find mangoes?
Fresh peaches would be delicious here!
Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad
A fresh and hearty salad that works great as both a side dish or a main dish. Top with grilled steak, chicken, or seafood for a filling meal.
Servings
Ingredients
- ⅔ cups dry quinoa
- 1 ⅓ cup water, or broth
- 14 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 medium mango peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- To cook quinoa, rinse several times in cool water and then let soak for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Place in a small pot with 1 1/3 cup water or broth (I like vegetable or chicken broth for additional flavor) and bring to a simmer. Add quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Cool to room temp, or make ahead and chill.
- Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. You should have about 2 cups.
- Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Notes
- Store finished salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5-7 days for best results.
- This makes a great side dish, or prep-ahead lunch. We love pairing this with grilled chicken or steak for dinner and I love it chilled with leftover chopped steak the next day! Would also be great paired with seafood.
- A Note About Quinoa: Quinoa has a natural coating that can make it taste bitter when cooked, which is why the instructions here recommend rinsing. Some brands are pre-washed for you. Just check the cooking instructions on your quinoa before adding it to the cooking liquid. When in doubt, an extra rinse will never hurt!
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 309mg, Potassium: 500mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1201IU, Vitamin C: 49mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3mg
Calories: 264kcal
Cost: $12
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Questions & Reviews
Made this tonight. So good. I replaced half the water with mango juice. Worked really well. Next time I might add a finely diced jalapeno pepper for some kick.
Tried it tonight- I loved it, my kids loved it. A keeper…
I made this last night for company where one was a vegetarian. I had no idea how it would turn out (why do I always “test” my skills when company is coming???) and as soon as I pulled it out of the fridge she said “OH QUINOA!!!!” and I new I made the right choice. It was amazing! For the veggie eaters and the meat eaters alike! 🙂 Thanks!
This was really good. My little boys loved it and were asking for seconds. Also, I soak my quinoa in a bowl of water during the day as it begins to sprout even if you can’t see it and increases the nutritional value of this super food even more. Thanks gals!
I was just introduced to your website, and have to say I’m impressed! Food has always been fun and interesting to me, and I love trying new things. Lately I’ve been adding Indian (from India) spices to my pantry and trying very new (to me) foods. I love it!
Quinoa has been part of my pantry for several years, and when I saw this recipe, realized I had almost everything I needed, so I ran to the store and unbelievably found a ripe mango! This was quick and so easy to make, and I couldn’t wait for it to cool until I had some. 🙂 It is great!
After my first taste test before declaring it finished, I added 1/2 large jalapeno (the big ones have very little heat, but a bit, and a good flavor), minced, and have to say it added a wonderful bite.
Thank you so much for the yummy lunch, and new addition to my recipe file.
I’ll be buying your book, as well!
I made this the same day you posted it. My family (and myself, as wasn’t so sure about the olive oil/red wine vinegar/lime dressing) loved it! My 21 year old daughter told me she just wasn’t quite sure about it, but it was actually quite good. My baby girl, Breezy, who is 18 said it was really good once she got the ‘lentils’ out of there (black beans-she doesn’t give a flip what kind of bean it is–calls them all lentils and gets rid of them.) My really picky eater, Kristi, who has to really watch what she eats at a small bowl, and pronounced it ‘pretty good’. I am SO happy, as once it hits 110 degrees here in Phx, this is going to be a once a week meal, as it is too hot to eat hot foods all of the time. Oh, I did add some chicken to everyone’s salad except mine, as try to do a vegetable/grain day once a week. Husband asked me if there was any leftover for his lunch. A great recipe….:-)
Loved this…thanks for the yummy recipe. It has perfect summertime flavors.
Loved this…thanks for the yummy recipe!
This looks amazing! I’d never heard of quinoa until your blog. I’m a little slow…
I may just tell my kids it’s fancy rice bc they’re weird about trying new things but thanks to your blog and cookbook they’re doing that more and more. Thank you! 🙂
Thank you for reminding me I love quinoa! I went through a phase a few years ago and made it frequently, but haven’t touched it in months. When I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to try it again.
I made this for dinner, and it was delicious. I used pineapple in place of mango, 1/2 red and 1/2 orange peppers (for color) and even my kids inhaled it. It’s so light and summery, and the colors are amazing, which makes me love it even more. Yum!!