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
Loved this! The vinegar was a little strong for me, so next time I would only do half.
This is delish. But….being the mango lovers we are we doubled the mango. Really really good!
This is de-licious, and even though my kids wouldn’t eat it (or the tortellini bake, or taquitos… SIGH) I will be making it all summer long. So flavorful and summery. I used frozen mango chunks that I thawed and diced and they worked perfectly.
This is a very good idea with the frozen mango chunks. I’m gonna get me some of those.
If you have a costco membership it is $8 for an organic bag…I think its at least 2-3lbs.
Wow! This stuff is a party for the mouth. I only used one Tbs evoo and used a tomato instead of bell pepper. Not a real hit with the kids but I don’t care, because I’ll eat it all! I could definitely see substituting pineapples or peaches with the mango, but I think I like the mango. Thanks for the recipe!
I made a huge batch of this to eat for lunch all week and I can only say one word: FABULOUS! I love the medley of flavors! I had never used mango before in any recipes (I hadn’t even bought one before!) and it perfectly complements the other flavors in the salad. I am one happy camper after lunch now 🙂 I ran out of limes so I used a lemon instead and the dressing was still great!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Woah. This is so delicious. It is colorful, summery, and has such a unique and light taste. I can’t wait to make this for my mom and mother-in-law!
Mmm, made this for lunch today and had leftovers with dinner, as well. Added a bit of honey to the dressing to make it more enticing for my kids, and it was a winner!
I went out on a limb and made this with peaches instead of mangoes because that is what I had on hand… and it was awesome! I roasted the red pepper on the grill and even my skeptical husband loved it!! Definitely will make again…over and over again!
I loved this! I think it needs more mango though. Next time I will use two. I love mangoes! Thanks!