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
I can’t remember if I’ve commented on this before, but it is SO GOOD. Thanks for a great recipe. It was instantly put into my regular rotation of recipes. I love it!
Oh– and FYI: When I first started making this, it was during the summer and I had a lot of yummy mangoes around to use up. Lately I haven’t had fresh mangoes, so I’ve been using frozen. Just thaw them slightly, chop them up, and then they’ll thaw the rest of the way very quickly. They keep a really nice texture after they’re thawed.
I had a mango I needed to use up and some leftover quinoa but no green onions, no cilantro, no red wine vinegar. Sooo, I did a couple T.spoons diced red onion and used apple cider vinegar. Its really yummy. I’m sure the original has more depth, but this totally works! Thanks for the rezept!
I made this last night and it was amazing!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
When I first cooked up the quinoa and gave my hubby a taste, he told me how disgusting it was and asked WHAT was I going to be making with it? After the salad was made he was excited that it looked like Legos (his words) and was very impressed with the taste. I baked some chicken with smoked paprika, kosher salt, and freshly crushed pepper to go with it. 🙂
I couldn’t find plain quina at my store. Can I use couscous instead?
Sure Erin, that would probably work just fine!
At a picnic in American Fork Canyon (UT) this summer, I ate way too many helpings of a mango-couscous salad that my sister-in-law brought. I asked her how she made it–she said she saw this recipe on your website, and improvised with what she had in her cupboards. Also she added cumin and chili powder. It was awesome!
This was super delicious! So glad that I tried it. I will make again and again…
I love it with simple grilled chicken like I mentioned in the post!
made this for dinner last night and we even loved it w/out the dressing. Light and refreshing. My husband commented that it was the best tasting quinoa salad to date. I cooked the quinoa in chicken broth for more flavor and it was beautiful.
Thanks for another awesome recipe! My husband and I both love this. I like to make it to jave in the fridge for lunch, and send it with my husband to work. 🙂 so so good.