This Mango Avocado Bean Salad is a bit of summer on your plate. It is fresh, simple, colorful and has a nice crunchy texture. The chili adds a bit of spice and the mango adds some sweetness and freshness. I love the combination of sweet mango, spicy chili and creamy avocado. I remember having tasted this combination of flavors before when I was on a yoga retreat in Bali. This dish takes me back down memory lane. I can picture myself eating this lovely fresh salad in the shade on a lovely Bali afternoon. The blazing sun outside, coconut trees towering high above me, a lovely sea breeze, colorful flowers and exotic fruits growing on the trees around me. When I think of Bali, I think of color and all those amazing tropical fruits. Perhaps this is my idea of creating my own tropical and sunny island in the heart of Amsterdam.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Black quinoa
• 1 can (240 gr) of kidney beans
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp of spring onion (scallions)
• 15 baby Roma tomatoes, halved

Dressing

•  1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juice
• 1 fresh red chili pepper, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp of tahini
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (coriander)
• freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Rinse the black quinoa and cook in vegetable stock for 5 minutes and let stand for 10 minutes.
• In large salad bowl, the tomatoes, mango, avocado, bell pepper, spring onion and kidney beans.
• In a separate jar mix the dressing ingredients together and season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
• Add the cooled down quinoa and dressing to the salad bowl and mix well.