This Quinoa Black Bean Salad with fresh Mexican flavors is the perfect side dish to just about any summer meal and it also makes for the perfect lunch! It’s brimming with so much bright fresh goodness, plus it’s filling and totally satisfying. Not to mention it’s perfectly healthy too!
Healthy Quinoa Salad Recipe
Just look at the list of ingredients. You get protein from the quinoa and black beans, healthy fats from the avocado and olive oil, and lots of vitamins and minerals from just about everything here.
So in other words, this easy quinoa black bean salad is something you can feel great about eating. It’s delicious paired with grilled chicken, and of course salmon would be another great option.
Quinoa is such a versatile ingredient, the flavor just goes so well with just about anything. It’s such a tasty, hearty base for this delicious salad!
If you have leftover quinoa in the fridge I’m thinking it would be even better than the freshly cooked stuff here. The salad is a little wet but with leftover quinoa it would soak more of that up. Just use what you’ve got, either way it will be completely delicious!
Quinoa Black Bean Salad Ingredients
For this quinoa and mango avocado salad recipe, you’ll need:
- Quinoa
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Spices (cumin, ginger, cayenne)
- Canned black beans
- Produce (mango, limes, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, avocado)
How to Make Quinoa Salad
- First, rinse quinoa and cook in chicken broth (it adds great flavor), let cool.
- Second, whisk together dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Last, add salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss with dressing.
How Can I Make it Vegan?
This quinoa black bean avocado salad can easily be made vegan by using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and maple syrup in place of the honey.
Can I Make This Salad in Advance?
This mango black bean avocado salad is best within one to two hours of making it. The avocado starts to brown and the mango makes the quinoa a little soggy after a while. You can definitely cook the quinoa and chop the veggies in advance though!
Tips for the Best Quinoa Salad
- Make sure you’re using ripe mangos in this salad. If the mangos aren’t ripe, they’ll be too hard and won’t have much flavor.
- If you can’t find mangos at your grocery store, diced fresh pineapple would probably work well here.
- Make sure to rinse the quinoa well before cooking it, otherwise it may taste bitter.
More Quinoa Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
- Berry Kale Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Dressing
- Autumn Apple Kale Quinoa Salad
- Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
- Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
More Quinoa Recipes to Try:
- Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Burrito Bowls with Avocado Salsa
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa Bake
- Grilled Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- One Pan Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Quinoa