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 have made this 3 times. Great way to get good carbs when I’m gluten free. Thanks so much for sharing!!! Your cookbooks are my go to! Xoxo
Great quinoa salad recipe with a southwest flair. I like the minimal ingredients needed for the dressing. Planning to pack this up for lunch tomorrow and eat with an avocado.
I made this yesterday for a 4th of July BBQ and it was a big hit! Even my somewhat picky teenage step kids liked it. I love the lime and mango melding of flavors. I went off the quinoa package directions for cooking (same as OBB blog post on how to cook quinoa) which is to use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa and water. It turned out mushy for me. I rinsed and soaked it as well. So I went with a 1:1.5 ratio the second time and the quinoa turned out nice and fluffy. (I also toasted the quinoa right before cooking–supposedly it adds a more nutty texture or flavor).
I was a little skeptical of this at first. Growing up my mom always had us kids drink wheat grass and other health kicks she got on. The quinoa was great though. It was real easy to make also and thats important for being a single guy and all. Great recipe to add to my collect to give me some variety other than my frozen fish sticks:)
Hey Sarah, I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE this recipe! It is my favorite way to eat quinoa, hands down! I make it a LOT and take it to get-togethers and it is always gobbled up with no leftovers! I will be sad when mangos go out of season!! But, I’ll make it anyway! Thanks again, it’s just fantastic!
This has got me more yummy noises at parties then anything else. I usually add an avocado, some sliced string cheese and baby tomatos (if I can’t find the mango). This is a winner everytime!
This is an awesome recipe- the best quinoa recipe I’ve ever had! Simple to make, loads of healthy ingredients and a great taste. A real winner!!!
Enjoyed this recipe a lot! I added feta cheese – very yummy!
I absolutely love this salad! It’s become one of my favorite lunches since finding the recipe a few months ago – I’ve made it so many times. I almost always substitute red onion and green peppers just because that’s usually what I have on hand. I have also used a peach in place of the mango or used frozen mango instead of fresh – both work well. In a pinch once, I also substituted lemon juice for the lime juice (the salad was totally made before I realized I didn’t have a lime). All in all, a great recipe that has made me love quinoa.
One of my favorites! I even just took this to a family party and everyone wanted the recipe.