Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (200 g) Uncooked Quinoa (White or Tricolor)
  • 2 cups (475 ml) Water or Vegetable Stock
  • ½ tsp (2.5 g) Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 (15 oz / 425 g) can Black Beans, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 cup (160 g) Sweetcorn, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained)
  • 1 large (about 300 g) Ripe, but firm, Mango, diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 large (150 g) Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
  • ½ medium (75 g) Red Onion, finely minced
  • ½ cup (12 g) Fresh Coriander (Cilantro), roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Tbsp (45 ml) Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • ½ tsp Ground Coriander
  • ¼ tsp Chili Powder
  • ⅛ tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional, for a kick)
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (for dressing)
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper (for dressing)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the Quinoa: Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for 30 seconds to remove the bitter saponin coating.
  2. Cook the Quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa, water/stock, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
  3. Rest and Fluff: Remove the quinoa from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet or wide plate to cool completely.
  4. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper until emulsified and smooth. Set aside.
  5. Prep the Components: Dice the mango, red pepper, and red onion. Rinse and drain the black beans. Ensure frozen corn is thawed.
  6. Combine the Medley: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, drained black beans, corn, diced mango, red pepper, red onion, and chopped coriander.
  7. Dress the Medley: Pour the prepared lime-chipotle dressing over the medley ingredients.
  8. Toss Gently: Use a spatula to gently toss everything together until all components are evenly coated. Be gentle to avoid mashing the mango.
  9. Chill (Crucial Step): Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes (ideally 2 hours). This allows the flavors to marry.
  10. Taste and Serve: Before serving, give it a final stir and taste, adjusting salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.