Sweet mango with sauteed onions and bell peppers, hearty black beans, and quinoa flavored with lime and cumin. Equally delicious served warm or chilled.
When I lived in Nanjing, China I could easily get amazing, fresh Asian ingredients in markets and produce stands, seemingly on every block. I miss the freshness of ingredients and the ease of walking past a produce stand on my way home from work and picking up a few things for dinner.
I cooked a lot of Chinese meals and fusion meals using Chinese ingredients in Nanjing, but sometimes I craved more Western style foods. One of the things that I often craved was quinoa, which I never found in my local Nanjing stores. The first time I went home to the US after a year in China I stocked up on quinoa and other ingredients and brought them back to Nanjing in a big heavy suitcase. One of my favorite recipes merging local ingredients (amazing, fresh mangoes) and food from home (quinoa) is this mango black bean quinoa salad. It was a perfect light meal for hot, humid summer days in Nanjing, and a great side dish for a potluck.
How to Make Mango Quinoa Salad
You’ll start by cooking the quinoa. Quinoa has a high protein content and a sweet nutty flavor. I don’t love eating it plain, but it’s lovely mixed with the right ingredients. While the quinoa is cooking, saute a diced onion and a bell pepper. Add the quinoa, onion, and bell pepper to a bowl with a can of black beans, cumin, lime juice, and salt. Mix well.
Then cut up two mangoes. I’ve been eating mangoes since I was small. The way I learned to cut a mango was to first cut off the sides, directly on either side of the center seed.
If you try this recipe for mango quinoa salad, leave a comment and review below and let me know what you think!
Mango Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 15 oz can black beans rinsed
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ripe mangos or about 1 1/2 to 2 cups presliced
- 1 green onion optional
Instructions
- Start by cooking your quinoa in a rice cooker using 2 cups water or follow package directions to cook on the stove.
- Then dice the onion and bell pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, and saute the onion for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the cooked quinoa, onion, and bell pepper to a large bowl with the cumin, lime juice and salt. Mix well.
- Cut up your mangos into chunks (see step by step instructions above if you're not familiar with cutting mangos).
- Add the mango to the bowl and mix in gently.
- If using the green onion, slice thinly.
- Serve the mixture warm or chilled with the green onion sprinkled over the top.
I love quinoa salads and I especially love the sound of this one! The mango is a wonderful and fresh addition…definitely something I must try soon.
I’m a big mango fan and they go well with black beans. Sounds a tasty salad.
I love your photos from the Nanjing markets. I’ve never been to China, but I do go to Taiwain frequently and the markets look similar. This recipe looks delicious! I’m a huge fan of both quinoa and mango. Can’t wait to try this!
This looks so fresh and healthy. Plenty of good protein!
This salad does look perfect for a hot summer day! I just love the addition of quinoa. Such wonderful flavors!
What a delicious looking salad! Love all the tasty flavours you’ve included!
Such a delicious recipe with a perfect combination of flavours.
Thanks for sharing
Julie
What a lovely colourful salad. Very balanced and healthy too – perfect for our next BBQ
This looks like the ideal summer salad. Very balanced and colourful too.
I love every salad with beans and grains, but the mango in this one takes it over the top. So yummy!
Nice. This is hitting EVERY note that captures my attention. Thank you for sharing. Cannot wait to make this. 🙂