Sawsan Abu Farha @ Chef in disguise Image Appetizer, Arabic and middle eastern recipes, Quinoa, Salad, vegan, Vegetarian

Quinoa salad with mango and black beans and cilantro honey dressing

Quinoa salad with mango and black beans

It is the first Monday of the month which means it is time for our Secret Recipe Club  reveal. For this month I had The life and loves of  grumpy’s honeybunch 

Shelby started her blog in 2007 as a record for her children and some day her grandchildren to remember her by.The blog  become a journey of family life, love, happiness, sadness and many more memories and emotions that revolve around food.   On her blog she creates fun, healthy, delicious recipes with the exception of an occasional indulgence, as she describes it
Going through Shelby’s archives I bookmarked her Apricot Cashew Quinoa Breakfast Cookies, Flour Tortilla and her Date Scones  but ended up making her quinoa salad with mango, black beans, and cilantro lime dressing because I had all the ingredients on hand and I just love trying new salads and recipes using quinoa.
Quinoa salad with black beans mango and cilantro
While quinoa (keen-wa) is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. (You can check out my detailed post on how to cook quinoa here). Compared to whole grains, quinoa has the highest protein content,and it provides all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein  so it’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa is also  gluten-free and cholesterol-free. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. It is also a good source of calcium. The best part is quinoa is a super food that is very easy to prepare, it is tasty and versatile.
This quinoa  salad was a refreshing blast of colors and flavor. The mango and the dressing added a sweet note that was balanced by the lemon juice and the freshness of cilantro. I slightly adapted the recipe by using lemon juice instead of lime and olive oil instead of grape-seed oil and honey instead of sugar for the dressing and I added cilantro to the dressing as well the result was a hit with the entire family.
quinoa salad with mango and black beans

Quinoa Salad with Mango, Black Beans, and Cilantro Lemon Dressing
adapted from Veganomicon
serves 4

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup black beans
1/2 red pepper, diced small
1 small mango, cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Cilantro Honey dressing

1/3 cup cilantro leaves 
1 large lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
dash or two of salt (to taste)

Rinse the quinoa well.

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. For mine it was

Bring 1 cup of water to boil.

 Add quinoa, stir and allow the water to  come back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 12 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

 Remove from heat and place in mixing bowl to cool.

Dice peppers, onions and mango into small pieces.

Drain and rinse black beans.  Measure 1 cup.

 Add vegetables and beans along with chopped cilantro to cooled quinoa.

To make the dressing 

In the blender add all the dressing ingredients and blend until the cilantro is completely incorporated

Pour over quinoa mixutre and toss to coat.