Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad with Smoky Pepitas and Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

 

Sweet and spicy come together in this Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad with Smoky Pepitas and Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette. Perfect for lunch, potluck or picnic. vegan + gluten free

How was your weekend?  Did you have some time to relax and catch up with friends and family?

It was an early morning for us to catch sunrise at Artist Point, Mt. Baker, WA. We packed a cooler and snacks for lunching, plenty of water and headed out the door at 2 am. I had a green smoothie in one hand, coffee in the other.

The drive was beautiful as we approached the mountain. The moon was full, reflecting its light off the shimmering Nooksack river as we made our way up the Mt. Baker Highway. We arrived at Artist Point just before sunrise. A short walk took us to spectacular vantage points.

The air was cool and crisp, with a few clumps of snow scattered here and there, the birds were just waking up and the mosquitos were biting. Hard. (Why is this a recurring theme?). It was peaceful, save the two drunk men who felt it necessary to ask shout “are you having a good time?” on more than one occasion. I gave them the thumbs up in hopes they’d leave us alone, then pretended they weren’t there.

Just as the moon was getting ready to set over Mt. Baker, the Sun was cresting the mountains to the East. Then, the mountain turned pink.

Ahhhh peace; cradled in cool mountain air, and hugged by trees, despite the drunk men guffawing and biting mosquitos buzzing my ears.

After a few short walks, we lunched for breakfast, lounged among the fir trees in the company of the mountain, listened to the river, hearing the sweetest of songs from feathered friends. Away from the mosquitos, and drunks, it was now, perfectly serene.

Later we took a hike around the lakes, down the river and through the wildflowers, soaking our feet in a glacier-fed stream and watched an American Dipper preen and hunt for insects amongst the rocks and fast-moving water.

It was sublime, even after a bit of butt-kicking from the last mile of the hike.

Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad with Smoky Pepitas and Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette is a good one to pack for lunch. Although this one didn’t go with us because we inhaled it prior to the trip, it will be in the cooler for our next picnic. Instead I packed this one, with some watermelon, a few cookies, peaches and Kettle chips. We needed the stamina.

Cookies, you know, provide stamina.

This salad has the sweet from the mango, spicy from the chipotle and smoky paprika, creaminess of avocado and mango, with lots of texture happening from the quinoa and beans, to the smoky pepitas. The smoky pepitas alone are crave-worthy. Roast them up in a larger quantity for snacking. They’re just fabulous!

There’s plenty going on in this salad to make your mouth happy and your tummy full.

Speaking of happy, I’ve struggled with knowing how to cut a mango. So I did a bit of searching for Mango Kitchen Hacks and found a video here and here.  My world will never be the same. It’s mango 24/7 now because I no longer dread getting to the good stuff.

With my newfound knowledge of mango cutting, canned black beans and fresh spinach from the Farmer’s Market, this salad comes together with ease.

It’s packed with good-for-you ingredients and makes a welcome addition to your next potluck or picnic. It’s also suitable for a variety of diets because it’s vegan and gluten free.

If you love mangos in salads, you gotta check out this Forbidden Rice Salad with Mango, Bok Choy and Coconut Curried Dressing too! It is just as versatile and portable as this salad!

Print Recipe

4.85 from 19 votes

Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad with Spiced Pepitas and Chipotle Lime Dressing

Sweet and spicy with a little bit of smoky come together in this flavor and texture-packed salad. A delicious addition to a picnic or potluck but also makes a hearty summer dinner salad. Vegan + Gluten Free

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Dessert, Main Course, Salad

Keyword: black beans, gluten free, mango, Plant Based, quinoa, salad, Vegan

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 444kcal

Author: Traci York | Vanilla And Bean

Ingredients

For The Salad:

• 1 C Quinoa rinsed under running water, 194g
• 1 3/4 C Water 420g
• 1/2 C Pepitas 72g
• 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp + 1/8 Sea Salt divided
• 1/4 tsp Hot Smoky Paprika
• 1, 15 oz Can of Black Beans rinsed, 425g
• 3/4 C Purple Onion diced, about 1/2 an onion, 70g
• 2 C Mangos diced, 330g
• 2 C Baby Spinach chopped and packed, 88g
• 4 Tbs Cilantro finely chopped
• 2 Avocados diced just before serving

For The Dressing (makes 1/2 C):

• 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 in Chipotle Pepper adobo sauce* Gluten free if needed
• 2 tsp Adobo Sauce
• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp Lime Juice fresh squeezed
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• 15 Stems of Fresh Cilantro leafless stem part removed
• 1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 48g

Instructions

For the Salad:

• In a small saucepot, bring quinoa and water to a boil, turn to low and simmer uncovered for 13-14 minutes. Remove from heat, stir, cover and let set for 5 minutes. The quinoa is ready when all the water is absorbed,and the quinoa is tender with it's 'tails' showing. Remove lid and place in refrigerator while the rest of the salad is being prepared.
• Preheat oven to 325F (163C). Toss pepitas with olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and paprika. Toast pepitas for about 8 minutes. They will be slightly golden and fragrant when ready. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the quinoa, beans, onion, mangos, spinach, cilantro, pepitas and the remaining 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt.

For the Dressing:

• In a food processor, combine the apple cider vinegar, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, lime juice, salt, cumin and cilantro. With the processor on, pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth.

To Assemble:

• Before serving drizzle 3/4 of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Taste to see if more dressing is desired and adjust as needed. Add a few twists of fresh ground pepper and adjust salt as needed. If time is available, dress the salad about an hour before service. The flavors will come together as it sets in the fridge.
• Just before serving, dice the avocado and gently toss into the salad. Store the salad in a lidded container for up to two days.

Notes

*Find chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in the Mexican food section of the grocery store. Store leftover chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to one month.  

Nutrition is provided as an estimate and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 962mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2027IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Loved it? Leave a comment below! Take a snap of what you made and share it on social: @VanillaAndBean, tag #VanillaAndBean!

Thank you for reading! If you make this recipe, be sure to post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Follow me on Pinterest, too, for even more deliciousness!