Quinoa, Mango, Black Bean Summer Salad

Quinoa, Mango, Black Bean Salad

This is my favorite summer salad and I am often asked for the recipe (or just to make more of it). It's rainbow healthy, delicious and easy to make.

What You'll Need:

1/2 cup dry Quinoa (or about 1 and 1/2 cup prepared)

Chicken Broth for preparing Quinoa (low sodium)

1 can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored and chopped

1 cup of Mango, diced (I use Trader Joe's frozen mango chunks)

4 or 5 Green Onions, chopped

1/4 - 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Ginger 

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

3 Tablespoons fresh Lime Juice

2 teaspoons Honey

Salt 

Options: Sometimes I add chopped cucumber, halved grape tomatoes, or avocado. Note, add the avocado as a last minute item on top so it doesn't get brown. 

What You'll Do:

Prepare the Quinoa per package directions. (Be sure to rinse it first. Never skip that step) I use Chicken Broth in place of water to give it more flavor. I also prepare a lot more quinoa than I need and then store it, premeasured, in bags in the freezer so when I want to make more of this salad, I just thaw out a bag. Brilliant, right?

In a large bowl, combine the room temp Quinoa and all other ingredients. Add more Cumin, Ginger, Cayenne, Honey and Lime to taste. Salt to taste. Add a little more Olive Oil if it seems dry. The recipe is really just a guide and you can make it your own. Don't like cilantro? Leave it out. Add other veggies. Make it spicier or less spicy to suit your tastes. 

This is a really good dish to take to a party. It travels well and tastes best a couple of hours after making it. It will get slightly spicier from the cayenne after a couple of hours, so beware.