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This quinoa salad with black beans, mango, and herby cilantro is a filling meal prep lunch packed with so much flavor! It’s just fresh ingredients combined with nutty quinoa in a simple but zesty red wine vinaigrette dressing.
Who else loves to cook once and enjoy ready-to-eat lunches during the week? Same! This is why you should also try this make-ahead-friendly chickpea salad, bulgur salad, and dense bean salad.
Today’s quinoa black bean salad reminds me a lot of my Southwest quinoa salad, this time with juicy mango chunks and a fresh, zesty red wine vinaigrette as the dressing. It’s plant-based and easy to make, either on the day or ahead of serving. The recipe is super flexible, too, so if you have veggies in the fridge that you’re looking to use, this might just be your next meal!
Why I’m Loving This Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
- Layers of flavor. This salad has creamy black beans, savory tomatoes, and citrusy cilantro, tossed with nutty quinoa in a simple dressing. The flavors really shine in every bite.
- Fresh ingredients. I love juicy, sweet-tart mango recipes like my mango chicken, guacamole, and the mango salsa in my salmon tacos. It brings the same delicious energy to this quinoa salad with black beans.
- Made for meal prep. This quinoa black bean salad keeps in the fridge for days, and it’s great for packed lunches, potlucks, parties, and just about any meal you can think of.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the ingredients I add to my black bean quinoa salad. I like to get a good variety of flavors and textures. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for the printable recipe with the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Quinoa – You can make this salad with white, red, black, or tri-colored quinoa. You may need to rinse the quinoa before you cook it, see below. Boil-in-a-bag quinoa is totally okay to use.
- Mango – Peeled and diced. Choose a ripe mango that yields a little when you squeeze it (similar to an avocado). Also, give it a sniff close to the stem. Ripe mangos will smell sweet and fruity!
- Tomato – Diced. I recommend removing the seeds from the tomato for best results. You can also use cherry or grape tomatoes instead, in which case, simply halve them and skip the seeding step.
- Scallions – Trim off the ends before slicing up the scallions. You could also use another mild salad onion, like diced sweet Vidalia onion, red onion, or green onion.
- Fresh Cilantro – If you’re sensitive to cilantro, feel free to substitute it with parsley, basil, mint, or another fresh herb of your choosing.
- Black Beans – If you’re using canned beans, rinse them under cold water and drain them well afterward. You can swap black beans with pinto beans if you’d like.
- Oil, Vinegar, and Salt – I make a simple vinaigrette dressing with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. That’s it! Swap red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar or cider vinegar if needed.
Why Rinse Quinoa?
A lot of store-bought quinoa comes pre-rinsed, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll need to wash the quinoa under cold water before you start. Long story short, quinoa has a natural coating, called saponin, which can make the grains taste bitter. To rinse the quinoa, add it to a fine mesh strainer and pass it under running water before you boil it.
Serving Suggestions
Easily make this salad into a tasty lunch or light meal by adding a protein, like cilantro lime chicken, leftover strip steak, or spicy garlic shrimp. I’ll often serve this quinoa black bean salad as a side dish to juicy salmon burgers or black bean burgers with crispy sweet potato wedges. I love the way the tropical mango in the salad ties in with a pineapple margarita!
Quinoa Salad FAQs
Get creative with different add-ins and ingredients! Try adding diced avocado, bell peppers, sweet corn, feta cheese, or chopped pecans or walnuts.
Sure! If you’d like to change up the dressing for your quinoa salad, I’d suggest Italian dressing or, for a creamy option, try avocado dressing.
Tools I Used
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- Instant Pot – This makes cooking quinoa super quick and easy. Just 1 minute under pressure and you’re done.
- Pot with Lid – If you’re cooking the quinoa on the stovetop, you’ll need a sturdy pot.
- Fine Mesh Strainer – For rinsing quinoa before cooking. This helps remove the natural bitterness.
- Mixing Bowls – One for the dressing, one for the salad. I like using a large bowl to give everything room to mix.
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Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1½ cups water
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 cup chopped scallions, trim off the ends of each scallion
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
For the dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa.** Rinse your quinoa under cold running water. Place it in the bowl of an Instant Pot along with 1 1/2 cups water. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Seal and cook on MANUAL for 1 minute on high pressure. Once your Instant Pot beeps, let it do a natural release for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining steam. Fluff your cooked quinoa with a fork, then set aside to cool.
- Make the vinaigrette dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, kosher salt, and red wine vinegar. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with the mango, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and black beans. Give the dressing another quick whisk, then pour it over the salad and gently mix the salad with a large spoon.
- Serve. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes so that the quinoa can soak up some of the flavor from the dressing, then serve. You can serve this salad warm or cold, whichever is easier.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make a Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Start by rinsing the quinoa under running water. Afterward, cook the quinoa using one of the following methods. Allow the quinoa to cool off before you assemble the salad.
- Cook the quinoa. Combine your (rinsed) quinoa with 1 ½ cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 1 minute. When the cooking time is up, let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, then vent the remaining pressure. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Stovetop Method
Add the quinoa, 2 cups of water, and salt to a pot. Bring the pot to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Afterward, take the pot off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes while the remaining liquid absorbs.
Assemble the Salad
- Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, salt, and vinegar.
- Combine the ingredients. Meanwhile, add the cooled quinoa to a large bowl and add the mango, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and black beans. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
- Rest the salad. I recommend leaving the quinoa salad to rest for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to soak in. You can serve this salad warm or cold.
Storage Tips
Store leftover quinoa black bean salad in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s great to take along for lunch on busy days or make ahead for a party. I like to stretch this salad even further and mix it with leafy greens, like kale, spinach, or arugula.
