This quinoa salad with black beans, mango, and herby cilantro is a filling meal prep lunch filled with a lot taste! It’s simply recent elements mixed with nutty quinoa in a easy however zesty crimson wine French dressing dressing.
Who else likes to prepare dinner as soon as and revel in ready-to-eat lunches in the course of the week? Similar! This is the reason you must also do that make-ahead-friendly chickpea salad, bulgur salad, and dense bean salad.
At present’s quinoa black bean salad jogs my memory a variety of my Southwest quinoa salad, this time with juicy mango chunks and a recent, zesty crimson wine French dressing because the dressing. It’s plant-based and simple to make, both on the day or forward of serving. The recipe is tremendous versatile, too, so if in case you have veggies within the fridge that you just’re wanting to make use of, this would possibly simply be your subsequent meal!
Why I’m Loving This Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
- Layers of taste. This salad has creamy black beans, savory tomatoes, and citrusy cilantro, tossed with nutty quinoa in a easy dressing. The flavors actually shine in each chew.
- Recent elements. I really like juicy, sweet-tart mango recipes like my mango hen, guacamole, and the mango salsa in my salmon tacos. It brings the identical scrumptious vitality to this quinoa salad with black beans.
- Made for meal prep. This quinoa black bean salad retains within the fridge for days, and it’s nice for packed lunches, potlucks, events, and nearly any meal you possibly can consider.
Components You’ll Want
These are the elements I add to my black bean quinoa salad. I wish to get a great number of flavors and textures. Scroll to the recipe card after the submit for the printable recipe with the total ingredient quantities and directions.
- Quinoa – You can also make this salad with white, crimson, black, or tri-colored quinoa. You might have to rinse the quinoa earlier than you prepare dinner it, see under. Boil-in-a-bag quinoa is completely okay to make use of.
- Mango – Peeled and diced. Select a ripe mango that yields slightly whenever you squeeze it (just like an avocado). Additionally, give it a sniff near the stem. Ripe mangos will odor candy and fruity!
- Tomato – Diced. I like to recommend eradicating the seeds from the tomato for greatest outcomes. You can even use cherry or grape tomatoes as a substitute, through which case, merely halve them and skip the seeding step.
- Scallions – Trim off the ends earlier than slicing up the scallions. You might additionally use one other delicate salad onion, like diced candy Vidalia onion, crimson onion, or inexperienced onion.
- Recent Cilantro – When you’re delicate to cilantro, be happy to substitute it with parsley, basil, mint, or one other recent herb of your selecting.
- Black Beans – When you’re utilizing canned beans, rinse them underneath chilly water and drain them nicely afterward. You’ll be able to swap black beans with pinto beans should you’d like.
- Oil, Vinegar, and Salt – I make a easy French dressing dressing with olive oil, crimson wine vinegar, and salt. That’s it! Swap crimson wine vinegar for white wine vinegar or cider vinegar if wanted.
Why Rinse Quinoa?
A number of store-bought quinoa comes pre-rinsed, but when yours doesn’t, you’ll want to scrub the quinoa underneath chilly water earlier than you begin. Lengthy story quick, quinoa has a pure coating, known as saponin, which may make the grains style bitter. To rinse the quinoa, add it to a advantageous mesh strainer and cross it underneath working water earlier than you boil it.
Quinoa Salad FAQs
Get inventive with totally different add-ins and elements! Attempt including diced avocado, bell peppers, candy corn, feta cheese, or chopped pecans or walnuts.
Positive! When you’d like to vary up the dressing on your quinoa salad, I’d counsel Italian dressing or, for a creamy choice, strive avocado dressing.
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- On the spot Pot – This makes cooking quinoa tremendous fast and simple. Simply 1 minute underneath stress and also you’re achieved.
- Pot with Lid – When you’re cooking the quinoa on the stovetop, you’ll want a sturdy pot.
- High-quality Mesh Strainer – For rinsing quinoa earlier than cooking. This helps take away the pure bitterness.
- Mixing Bowls – One for the dressing, one for the salad. I like utilizing a big bowl to offer every little thing room to combine.
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Prepare dinner the quinoa.** Rinse your quinoa underneath chilly working water. Place it within the bowl of an On the spot Pot together with 1 1/2 cups water. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Seal and prepare dinner on MANUAL for 1 minute on excessive stress. As soon as your On the spot Pot beeps, let it do a pure launch for 10 minutes, then fastidiously launch the remaining steam. Fluff your cooked quinoa with a fork, then put aside to chill.
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Make the French dressing dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, kosher salt, and crimson wine vinegar. Put aside.
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Assemble the salad. In a big bowl, mix the cooled quinoa with the mango, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and black beans. Give the dressing one other fast whisk, then pour it over the salad and gently combine the salad with a big spoon.
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Serve. Let the salad sit for quarter-hour in order that the quinoa can take in a number of the taste from the dressing, then serve. You’ll be able to serve this salad heat or chilly, whichever is simpler.
** When you don’t have an On the spot Pot, you possibly can prepare dinner your quinoa on the range as follows: Place 1 cup of rinsed quinoa in a medium pot together with 2 cups of water and a pinch of kosher salt. Carry to a boil over medium warmth, then scale back to low, cowl, and simmer for quarter-hour. Take away from the warmth and let the pot sit for 10 extra minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and put aside to chill.
Energy: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fats: 11g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in keeping with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
Stovetop Technique
Add the quinoa, 2 cups of water, and salt to a pot. Carry the pot to a boil, then simmer over low warmth for quarter-hour. Afterward, take the pot off the warmth and let it sit for 10 minutes whereas the remaining liquid absorbs.
Storage Ideas
Retailer leftover quinoa black bean salad in a coated container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. It’s nice to take alongside for lunch on busy days or make forward for a celebration. I wish to stretch this salad even additional and blend it with leafy greens, like kale, spinach, or arugula.
