In this blog, I wanted to share a recipe for some Black Bean Avocado And Quinoa Rainbow Salad I made recently. If you know me or follow my social media posts, you have probably heard me talk about eating more rainbow colored foods. That’s because fruit and vegetables are good for you and most people don’t eat enough of them. In my book, Wholey Cow A Simple Guide To Eating And Living, I have a chapter titled, “Reach For Rainbow Colors,” in which I talk about the importance of including more produce in your diet, especially vegetables. Vegetables contain vital nutrients your body needs and you can’t get from other food sources. Anyway—this recipe for Black Bean Avocado And Quinoa Rainbow Salad includes a variety of bright colored vegetables to give your body a boost of energy. Let’s take a look at some of their healthy benefits.

Healthy Ingredients Benefits

Black beans are rich in protein and fiber. They are also rich in iron, which is important for energy and a healthy immune system.

Avocados contain good fats your body needs to function properly.

Quinoa is also high in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin E and other antioxidants.

Red Peppers are rich in vitamin C and other healthy antioxidants. They also provide a sweet, crunchy taste.

Mangos are rich in beta carotene, which is important for the production of vitamin A, which promotes eye health. It also adds a sweet, delicious taste that compliments the other ingredients.

Black Bean Avocado And Quinoa Rainbow Salad

This recipe is easy to make, contains a bunch of healthy ingredients and is quite tasty. Give it a try to include more rainbow colored foods in your diet.

 

Ingredients

  • 1  can Black beans
  • 1 Avocado (cut in cubes)
  • 1 Large Mango (cut in cubes)
  • 1/2 tsp Chili, powder
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 clove Garlic (minced)
  • 1 Red bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 small Red onion
  • 3/4 cup Quinoa
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Tumeric
  • Olive oil
 
Dressing
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

 

    • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

 

  • 1 tbsp honey  or maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed Lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Cilantro (chopped)
  • Crushed Red pepper

Directions

Follow the directions on the package to cook the quinoa. When done, add approximately 1 Tbsp. of Olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and Tumeric. (I add Tumeric to everything because it is extremely good for you and is anti-inflammatory. You can skip this, if you don’t like the taste, but I hardly notice it.) Stir the mix and set aside.

On a large cutting board, chop the vegetables and mango, creating a pile for each one. Place each pile in a section in a large glass bowl, leaving space for the black beans and quinoa. You can add these 2 items first or save them to add last. Set the filled bowl aside.

In a small glass bowl, combine the olive oil, mustard, honey, lime juice cilantro and crushed red pepper and stir together to make a dressing for the salad.

Pour the dressing on top of the rainbow salad and toss together. You can also serve the dressing on the side and serve the salad in the rainbow divided bowl. If you don’t like quinoa or eat grains, just skip it and make the salad without it. It is good either way.

Black Bean Avocado And Quinoa Rainbow Salad

Enjoy!

Barb

 
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