Make this healthy quinoa salad for easy meal prepped lunches or as a side dish for dinner. Be sure to buy your avocado and mango a few days before making the salad so they're perfectly ripe.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword quinoa salad
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Cooling Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 8
Calories 316kcal
Ingredients
For the Dressing
½cupvegetable or canola oil
⅓cupfresh lime juice from about 4 limes
2tablespoonschampagne vinegar
1tablespoonsugar
1 ½teaspoonschili powder
½teaspoonkosher salt
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
For the Quinoa Salad
1 ½cupswhite or red quinoa
3cupswater
115 ounce canblack beans
1 15 ounce cangarbanzo beans
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½smallred onion, peeled, and cut into ¼" pieces
1avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cupchopped cilantro
¼cupchopped mint
Instructions
Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water first. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water. Add the water to the pan with the quinoa and kosher salt. Boil the quinoa like pasta, until al dente and the centers become transparent, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 12 minutes. Drain, fluff with a fork, and return the quinoa to the pot, cover with a kitchen towel and a lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
Pour the can of black beans into a strainer and rinse well with water. Drain and add to the quinoa bowl. Repeat with the garbanzo beans. Add the bell pepper, mango, red onion, avocado, and herbs.
To make the dressing, whisk the oil, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, chili powder and kosher salt in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed to taste. The dressing should taste pretty bold, but balanced.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to mix. Allow the flavors to meld for about 20 minutes up to overnight. Best within the first day, but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Notes
The quinoa can be cooked and refrigerated up to 3 days before assembling the salad. The dressing can also be made ahead of time. Substitute the chili powder for cumin or allspice. Use cannellini beans or Great Northern beans instead of chickpeas/garbanzo beans if desired. Allow at least 20 minutes up to overnight to serve after tossing the salad for the flavors to meld.