Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad

Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad

Still on the quest to complete mango madness I decided to try a fun twist on one of my old favorites, the black bean and mango rice bowl. Since Quinoa has such a high nutritional value I thought it would be fun to switch the grains up. I did a quick internet search and found a delicious sounding recipe from Eating Well (which is a GREAT Magazine for healthy cooking.) My usual version hovers on the latin side so it was fun to put an asian twist to the dish. The result was a denser and more flavorful version of my original... one where the flavors felt like they incorporated into one another even better... so now I know. Quinoa is totally the way to go!


½ C Quinoa
1 C Water
¼ C Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
¼ C Chopped Cilantro
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp fresh chopped ginger
Salt and Pepper
1 Mango, diced
1 Red Pepper, Diced
1 C Tomato, chopped
1 C Cucumber, chopped
1 Can black beans
2 Spring Onions, chopped

I cooked the quinoa in my rice maker which made that step super easy. Meanwhile, wisk the orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, oil, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper together. Add the other ingredients and toss in the dressing. When the quinoa is ready incorporate into the mixture and either serve or refrigerate.

The best part of this recipe is that you can add or remove any items you like or have in the house. I love recipes like this... they totally help me keep on top of cleaning out the fridge.