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 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.
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
You’ll just need a small handful of ingredients for this quinoa salad recipe. I particularly appreciate that the dressing is incredibly simple, just 3 ingredients, that I often have on hand.
- 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.
- Black Beans: simple canned black beans are perfect. I usually try to buy low-sodium beans when available.
- 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.
- 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!
Instructions
- 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
Serving Suggestions
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.
More quinoa recipes you might like:
Roasted Sweet Potato Chicken Quinoa Salad
Tabbouleh (this recipe uses bulgar wheat, but is great with quinoa as well)
Curried Cashew Quinoa Salad
Coconut Almond Breakfast Quinoa
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Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad
Description
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.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (2/3 cup dry quinoa)
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked 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. 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. 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.
Questions & Reviews
This reads like a list of my favorite foods – I made this for dinner and absolutely loved it! The flavors were beautiful together. I did add a touch of salt and pepper at the end, but for me it almost didn’t need it. I cooked up the quinoa with chicken broth and it was delicious. It was my first introduction to quinoa and I’m feeling a little obsessed about it – SO yummy! Thanks for the post about preparing it, too – by some experimenting I did, I could tell that rinsing/soaking it makes a big difference in the flavor.
I just made this tonight and I loved it! It’s so refreshing. I love the combination of all the flavors. Thank you for the recipe!
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!
This looks delicious! I think I’ll make some this weekend and save the leftovers for lunches next week in my Laptop Lunches bento box. I love my bento box so much that I’m actually thinking about what to make for dinner based on the leftovers I’ll yield for my bento box! Yes, I understand that’s a bit nutty but you should really check out their products. They make eating healthy fun: http://www.laptoplunches.com.
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!!
I just made this for dinner and served it with Mahi mahi and homeade pitas (all recipes peppys pita. I made it without a breadmaker). Very flavorful! It was really tasty stuffed in the pita, it could be a nice lunch. I’m so glad you posted this….I wanted the recipe when I saw it on biggest loser. Thank you for another great recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My new baby has an intolerance to dairy, soy, and nuts, so I’ve been going CRAZY with these limitations in my diet. This recipe was posted at the perfect time for me. I have never eaten quinoa before, but I love all the other ingredients so I’m betting this will be AWESOME!
Out of curiosity where is Whole Foods Market? I live in Boise, too, but couldn’t find an address online anywhere. This looks delicious…I think I may have to try it ASAP.
Patricia, Whole Foods mailed me some mangoes, but I’m SO happy that they’re building a store here soon! It’s going to be down town, right across from Julia Davis Park. I actually passed the site today with the sign and got all giddy, lol.
Just wanted to pipe in & say I bought quinoa for the very first time this weekend after reading your cooking tips. I have been wanting to try it for a while now & that gave me the nerve to try it. Can’t wait to cook it up. Trying mine (cooked in broth) with roasted red peppers & zuchini as that is what we have on hand. Can’t wait! Love your blog, just made (my fav) spicy honey glazed chicken Monday night, yum!
Also a BL fan, my pick is Irene or Olivia.
I love the Biggest Loser, too. AND my hubby and I both commented how much she looked like you, you know if you were a brunette, but we didn’t see it til recently. (Well, he didn’t know what you look like at all. He’s a fan of your recipes, but doesn’t read the blog, but he gave me your cookbook for Mother’s Day and remarked from your pic that you looked like Olivia.)
I too, am scared to try new things. I loved couscous when I tried it, but struggle to remember to use it in place of rice, etc…You just have to get something into your thought process, I guess.
Read this post yesterday and made it for dinner. YUMMY!! So, so good. Thank you so much! We also tried it with a little toasted coconut. That was good too.
This looks great! I bet it has such good flavor. I’m doing a Biggest Loser competetion with my friend (I’m not doing so well…)
I love The Biggest Loser and after I saw this episode I thought we are making that. We eat quinoa in our house at least 2-3 times a week and any time you can dress it up then it is awesome. I love the idea of adding some salt to it. I will have to do that. Olivia is my favorite too. I love how her husband lost so much weight while she was gone. I think that those two will never gain it back because they have the support of each other unlike many couples where the spouse is large too. She deserves to win and yes she looks hot on her facebook page. You and Kate are the best. Oh yes and I use your cookbook at least 3 times a week. Thanks for making food so yummy in our house.
I just love your site and did a BIG shout out on my blog about you! 🙂
Have you heard of Chef Brad? He’s pretty famous here in AZ and he just landed a cooking show on BYU TV and his first episode was on quinoa! Made me want to try it. now I have your recipe to try too – SCORE!! Thanks a million. Have been follower for years and love you gals!
I made it with the broth and I loved the flavor of the quinoa. The vinegar just seemed really overpowering- I may have also used too much lime juice. I will definitely be trying it again!
I thought the same thing, also, so I ended up adding extra quinoa for a total of about 4 cups. It was absolutely perfect then. 🙂
this looks amazing!!! i can not wait to make it for my family. We have been trying out many of the recipes i am finding here and they are all turning into new family favorites.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It was perfect with the taco chicken. The only complaint that I has was I felt like the dressing was way too strong and almost unnecessary. Did anyone else feel the same way? I am going to try it next time with just a little olive oil and lime and see if that is any better – but loved the mango and quinoa together!
That’s interesting Erin because I thought it needed *more* flavor which is why I ended up adding lots of salt and pepper at the end! Out of curiosity, did you cook your quinoa in water or broth?
This quinoa salad looks delicious
OMG My SO yells that I am the Biggest Loser watching The Biggest Loser eating ice cream etc. The Biggest Loser is my favorite show. I hope Irene beats Jay and the sisters for the top prize.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
I just tried quinoa for the first time today! I am now a major fan! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Haiku: Food
I love to eat food
don’t care if I’m a little fat
long as it tastes divine.
OMG Sara… EVERY ingredient in that salad looks refreshing, yummy, and delicious…EXCEPT for the quinoa. I have no idea why I’m so frightened to try it. Probably because it’s small and round… like cous cous… which sets in MY gag reflex. I love rice (especially short grains like Arborrio), but this doesn’t physically appear like it would have the consistency of rice at all. Maybe it’s because it’s so healthy, and healthy grains usually seem to be really dry. I really do wish I could get over my fear, because this recipe ROCKS!