Nothing screams Florida louder than mangoes. I LOVE them! Usually, I have mine straight up as a refreshing dessert or in my daily smoothie with pineapple and a splash of OJ. I also love mango in a Spicy Black Bean Salsa but we’ll save that recipe for another day.
I developed this Mango Quinoa Salad at the request of Sarasota Magazine.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
The Bite-This dish is a flavor explosion on a plate with so many layers of flavors. The contrast of the sweet juicy mango, the peppery bite of the arugula, the creaminess of the avocado paired with the zesty citrus pop of the ginger-lime dressing is sure to make you taste buds jump for joy.
I have also been known toss in a few grilled Pink Key West shrimp for a special treat. I use a little bit of the dressing for a quick marinade for the shrimp. Man, are these good!!
- [b]SALAD[/b]
- 1 cup rainbow quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 3 mangoes, skinned and pitted, cut into thick strips
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups baby wild arugula (can substitute spring mix)
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- [b]GINGER-LIME DRESSING[/b]
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 tablespoon shallot, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon local honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
- In a saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until most or all of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Chill until ready to use in salad
- While quinoa is cooking, make dressing
- Add shallot, ginger, lime juice and honey to food processor or mixing bowl. Whisk together, adding the olive oil slowly to emulsify. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
- To assemble the salad, mix the quinoa, mango, cucumber, black beans, and cilantro together with a bit of dressing. Spread the arugula or field greens on a large plate and layer the quinoa mixture over the greens. Top with the avocado slices. Drizzle with a bit more of the dressing and season well with salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
- Notes: The dressing recipe will make more than is needed for this recipe. I always like to have extra leftover for later or to marinade shrimp
