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Back when I was first pregnant with Sophie, in combination with morning sickness, I had really blurry vision for a few weeks that gave me really bad headaches. For the most part, it was really manageable, but for one rough week, I was more or less couch-ridden. It was then that I discovered The Biggest Loser. Yes, I know, there are something like ten or eleven seasons now, and oh my gosh, Emily, how have you missed it for the past however many years?
Well, I’m not much for reality television. Or television in general. But something about my pregnancy hormones and the first episode of the season (where each contestant shares his or her backstory) combined to hook me. I’m a Biggest Loser watcher now. Well, on one of their embarrassing product placement bits or trainer health tips (I don’t remember which), someone made a quinoa salad loaded with lots of colorful veggies and I want to say their was a lime dressing involved.
Well, now that I’m a quinoa person, that salad has been in the back of my brain. Here’s my version.
What I like about this recipe, is that it’s easy to put together, can be made ahead of time, and–biggest bonus of all–does not require the oven. I DO live in the desert, after all. I added a variety of colored vegetables for a good balance of flavor and color, and I’m really happy with the result. You could certainly customize the recipe to your tastes.
This is a great recipe for trying quinoa for the first time, or introducing it to your family, since there is a lot of flavor, and there’s no risk of it being bland. Michael had never tried quinoa before this salad, and he said it was really good. Certainly, though, if you think people in your house might have issue with quinoa, you could use cooked brown rice or orzo instead.
We ate this as a meatless main dish, but it would be a great side with fish, chicken, shrimp, or even a grilled steak. Be sure to double it if you want to feed a crowd. This amount was perfect for the two of us to have for two nights.
- 2c cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 (14.5oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 mango, diced
- ½-1 avocado, diced (optional)
- 1 green onion, sliced
- ¼c cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼tsp pepper, or to taste
- ¼tsp salt, or to taste
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, beans, bell pepper, mango, avocado, green onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over quinoa salad and toss to coat.
- Chill until ready to serve.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Gosh, this looks so deliciously tempting! It obviously IS since you managed to get your mango hating husband to try it – and to LIKE it! If it tastes as great as it looks, we’ll have a new favorite salad at our house!
I just made this to take to a potluck tomorrow. It tastes great!
I’m a recent quinoa convert myself. Can’t wait to try this one! Because I also love black beans.
Yum! I have nearly all those things right now, so I just might make myself some.
I love Biggest Loser!! I’m not a big reality TV person either, but it’s a lot more optimistic and way less dramatic than your usual reality show. I LOVE the back-story and seeing how everyone transforms into such happy, healthy people!
Just found your blog through Tasty Kitchen and it’s beautiful – gorgeous photos! This quinoa salad looks delicious.
What a beautiful creation! I can’t wait to try it!
Help! I’m making this and realize I have no red wine vinegar! I have cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Would any of these be a decent replacement?
I think cider vinegar would be the best choice, for sure. Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks! It’s delicious. Refreshing and slightly sweet. I’m in love. I used tomatoes instead of red bell pepper (because I was out) and they shined! My one year old even likes it!
Mmm…just made this for dinner. It’s delicious!! And healthy
This was my first crack at quinoi – AH-MAY-ZING!!! I left the avocado out because I was packing it up for lunches for the week and didn’t want to risk it turning brown (despite the lime dressing). I can’t believe how much protein there is in quinoi – I’ve been missing out!!
This is amazing! I LOVE it! Thanks so much for posting it.