“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” -Hippocrates

Black Bean and Mango Quinoa Salad

The multiple colors in the delicious salad signal its nutritional value. It's loaded with vitamins, phytochemicals and minerals. The quinoa and black beans gives this dish a protein pack that will fill you up pre or post-workout. Not to mention all the essential amino acids it provides. You can either make it entirely of quinoa or you can blend a bed of organic lettuce of your choice underneath.

Servings: 6  Serving Size: 1 cup Calories: 164

Ingredients You'll Need:

• 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh mango
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium lemon
• 1 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup optional organic lettuce (kale, spinach, romaine, arugula, etc) 

 Step 1:

If you haven't done so already, go ahead and chop up your garlic, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and mango. Separate the garlic because you'll be adding it alone before you combine with the rest of the veggies/fruit.

 

Step 2:

In a separate skillet, heat up 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Add your minced garlic and let the oil soak up the flavor for a few minutes. Do not forget to occasionally stir so your garlic doesn't burn. After a few, grab your veggie mango mix and add it to the skillet. Keeping it on medium heat, stir it a bit so that everything is lightly covered in the oil. Then cover the skillet and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Step 3:

Once the red onion seems to become a little softer and translucent, grab your cup of cooked quinoa and toss it into the pan. Let it sit over medium heat for a few minutes as you stir with a wooden spoon. 

 

Step 4:

 Easiest step. Add everything else! I like to start out with the black beans so it can heat up and the flavors can really mix into the quinoa. Then add the lemon, cumin, and turmeric. Stir it for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat and then you can begin serving! If you wanted to add lettuce to your dish, prepare a bowl and cover the bottom with a layer of greens. Add the mango salsa quinoa mixture on top...and enjoy!