Quinoa Salad with Mango and Black Beans

The last salad item in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors salad cook off was Quinoa Salad with Mango and Black Bean.   You can use quinoa as a substitute for rice, or mix it with chopped vegetables, nuts, or dried fruit for a salad.  One thing to remember when using quinoa is to wash it thoroughly before cooking.  This is because each grain has a naturally bitter coating called “saponin” that needs to be rinsed off.

Jane (also a new member of the cooking club) and Karen prepared this salad which serves 6.

This yellow and red high protein grain is easy to cook and has a moist, fluffy texture.

Ingredients

Quinoa:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons rice, cider, or wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad:

• 5 cups cooked quinoa (see above)
• 2 mangoes, diced
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely minced
• 1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced
• 1 can black beans

Instructions

To prepare the quinoa, bring water to a boil in a 3 to 4 quart pan over high heat.  In a strainer, rinse quinoa under running water thoroughly, drained.  Add quinoa and salt to pan with boiling water.  Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and quiona is tender to bite, about 20 minutes.  If you have time, allow the hot quinoa to sit in the covered pan after cookding for an additional 10 minutes.  This allows it to steam and creates a fluffier texture.

Rinsed and drained the black beans.

Dice the mango like you like an avocado by cutting criss cross into the mango but with skin still intact and scoop out the dice mango with a spoon.

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Add cooled quinoa. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.

Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Jane and Karen, thank you for making this great salad.

Categorized Under: 2009 • Bean • Salad • Vegetarian

Tagged Under: Black Bean • Community Kitchen • Mango • Quinoa • Recipe • Vegetarian