Vegan Lunch Quinoa

June 5, 2018

Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Name: Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: For the quinoa:; ¾ cup uncooked quinoa; 1 ½ cups water; For the salad:; 1 (15 ounce) can black beans; 1 large mango, diced (about 1 heaping cup diced mango); 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 avocado, diced; ½ cup diced cilantro; ¼ cup finely diced red onion; 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced; For the honey lime chipotle dressing:; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, plus more if you like things a little spicy; 1 clove garlic, minced; ½ teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper; To garnish:; Extra cilantro; Pepitas

This healthy mango black bean quinoa salad with avocado will be your favorite easy lunch or summer salad to bring to parties. Dressed with a yummy honey chipotle lime dressing for vibrant, bright flavor. It stays good in the fridge for days and can be made ahead of time.

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

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Jump to Recipe

I’m just getting home from a gorgeous weekend in Minnesota. Tony and I walked around Lake Calhoun, and it took me back to when I was around 9 or 10; my mom used to bring me along 20 mile bike rides along the different paths that connected the Minnesotan lakes. We had the best times together cruising around the city in search of different outdoor adventures. In fact, we did everything together. Just us two girls. We’d make breakfast, bake pies, do crafts, shop at the Hispanic market, go on long summer bike rides, take workout classes, go to movies, etc.

My mom has inspired many recipes on this site; her love of cooking and flavor creativity is as strong as mine. When I first started my blog, I was living at home after college and packing all of my mom’s lunches and planning our dinners. She was my taste tester and allowing me to meal prep and cook always meant that we had healthy meals available. We’d make huge batches of chili with corn muffins, strawberry banana quesadillas for breakfast, skinny banana muffins and her personal favorite: butternut squash black bean enchiladas skillet.

Another favorite of hers? My always different, yet delicious and healthy quinoa salads. This mango black bean quinoa salad is a recipe I know my mom would just adore. It’s simple, beautiful, seasonal and stays good for days. It tastes like a little fiesta in your mouth and yes Mom, I made it just for you. It’s vegetarian, healthy and perfect for packing for lunches.

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Ingredients in this mango quinoa salad

We’re packing aaall of the delicious summer produce into this easy, flavorful quinoa salad, and tossing it in the BEST honey chipotle lime dressing. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:

Quinoa: the base of this salad is, of course, nutty, delicious quinoa!
Black beans: we’re getting plenty of plant-based protein from a can of black beans.
Produce: this quinoa salad is so fresh thanks to mango, a red bell pepper, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, red onion, and a jalapeño.
For the dressing: the easy honey chipotle lime dressing is made with olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, dijon mustard, chipotle chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper. To keep the dressing vegan simply swap the honey for pure maple syrup.
To garnish: I like to top my salad with extra cilantro and pepitas.

Customize your salad

This mango black bean quinoa salad is so easy to customize with whatever you have available! Here are some substitutions I can recommend:

For the quinoa: feel free to swap the quinoa for another grain like farro, barley, orzo, or pearl couscous.
For the mango: I think pineapple would be a great alternative if you’re looking for a swap.
For the black beans: feel free to use a can of chickpeas if you’d like!
Add a savory boost: I love adding crumbled feta, goat cheese, or cotija cheese for an extra savory element in the salad.

Looking for more protein?

You can absolutely add more black beans if you’d like, or try one of these non-vegan proteins:

Top with my Grilled Jalapeño Cilantro Chicken
Add grilled salmon or shrimp

How to make the best fluffy quinoa for salads

I know how difficult it can be to make the PERFECT quinoa, but I have a tried and true method for making super fluffy. It’s perfect for quinoa salads & side dishes, and will be your new go-to method. Get all of my tips & tricks here to make the best quinoa every time!

Mango black bean quinoa salad in 4 steps

Cook your quinoa. Start by using my method above to cook your quinoa until it’s nice and fluffy.
Chop your veggies. While the quinoa is cooking, chop up all of the beautiful produce and add it to a large bowl. Add the cooled quinoa along with the veggies.
Make the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and pour it over the salad.
Toss, garnish & serve. Toss everything together well, garnish with cilantro and pepitas, and serve it up!

Storing tips

Store this mango quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge, without or without the dressing, for up to 4-5 days. The acidity from the lime juice will help the avocado stay fresh! However, if you’re worried about the avocado getting brown, I suggest adding it right before serving.

The dressing will also stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week as well.

More quinoa salad recipes you’ll love

Get all of my salad recipes here!

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram. You can also leave a comment and rate the recipe below so other readers know how you liked it. xo!

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