Mango Quinoa Salad – This refreshing and nutritious salad bursts with tropical flavors, making it a great side dish, snack, or light meal for any occasion!

What is mango quinoa salad?

Mango quinoa salad is a refreshing and healthy salad made with cooked quinoa, ripe mangoes, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, all tossed in a simple lemon dressing. It has all sweet, savory and tangy flavors and can be enjoyed as a light meal or side dish.

The combination of protein packed quinoa, sweet mangoes, juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers makes this salad not only super flavorful but also highly nutritious. A wonderful dish for meal prep, gatherings and picnics.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

It is light and refreshing!

Packed with protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

This salad can be easily customizable to suit your taste preferences.

Can be made ahead of time!

Perfect for picnics and gatherings.

Ingredients & Substitutes:

Quinoa – Quinoa is nutritious seed that is packed with protein and fiber. Make sure you rinse it well with water to avoid any bitterness. If you can’t find quinoa, you can substitute it with bulgur, rice, or couscous.

Mangoes – Choose ripe and sweet mangoes for the best tropical flavor and taste. You could also use thawed mango if you can’t find the fresh ones.

Cucumber – I have used english cucumbers in this recipe, they make the salad refreshing and adds crunch. If you don’t have cucumbers in hand, replace them with red or yellow bell peppers.

Cherry Tomatoes – These will add freshness and color to the salad. Substitute them with regular tomatoes, if you don’t have cherry tomatoes. Dice them into small pieces if you are using regular tomatoes.

Jalapeño Pepper – If you are fine with heat, don’t remove seeds. You can swap it with any other peppers or simply skip it.

Onion – You can use any onion such as red, yellow or white onion. You can also replace them with shallots or green onions if you prefer milder taste.

Cilantro – If you are not a fan of cilantro / coriander leaves, use less or replace it with parsley.

Honey – Do not skip the sweetener, it balances the flavors in the dressing. If you are vegan, substitute it with maple syrup, sugar, agave.

Lemon Juice – You can substitute it with lime juice, orange juice, or vinegar. Do not skip it.

Olive Oil – I highly recommend using a good quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Salt & Pepper – Adjust as per your taste.

Tips & Notes:

Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking with plenty of water to remove any bitterness.

Make sure the quinoa is cooked well. You could also use any leftover cooked quinoa in this recipe.

You could also add cooked beans, diced red bell pepper, or avocado to the salad.

Adjust the amount of honey/maple syrup, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper according to your taste.

Chill the assembled salad for at least 30 minutes for the best flavor.

Storage suggestions:

Store any leftover quinoa mango salad in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Serving suggestions:

Mango quinoa salad can be enjoyed as a light and nutritious lunch or dinner.

It can also be served as a side dish.

Step by step instructions:

Rinse quinoa well with plenty of water to remove any bitterness and drain.

Combine rinsed quinoa, 1 cup of water and required salt in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the flame to low and cover the pot with a lid.

Let it cook until it is soft and cooked.

Once it is soft and cooked, remove it from the heat. Cover and let it cool completely.

Fluff it using a fork and keep it aside until use.

To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and black pepper in a small mixing bowl or jar.

Mix it well until well combined.

Wash, peel and dice a ripe and sweet mango. Cut the rinsed cherry tomatoes in half.

Deseed jalapeno and chop it finely. Peel and chop onion into small pieces

Wash and chop cucumber into desired shapes.

Combine cooked quinoa, mango, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, cucumber and chopped cilantro in a mixing bowl.

Pour the prepared dressing over it.

Gently mix everything until well combined.

Adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Serve and enjoy!

Mango Quinoa Salad