This is a great summer salad from Craig Charlton at myperfectbite.com featuring ripe, juicy mangoes, peppery arugula and creamy avocado, paired with a zesty ginger-lime dressing. If you're a fan of some heat, toss in some sliced jalapeno pepper. And for a special treat, add a few grilled pink Key West shrimp and you've got the perfect summer entree. 

Mango Quinoa Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

Serves 4

Salad

1 cup rainbow quinoa
2 cups water
3 mangoes, skinned and pitted, cut into thick strips
½ cup diced red onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups baby wild arugula (can substitute spring mix)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1-2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and sliced
¼ cucumber, sliced thin in half coins
Salt and pepper, to taste

Ginger-Lime Dressing

¼ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 Tbsp. shallot, finely diced
1 Tbsp. local honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until most or all of the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Chill until ready to use in salad

While quinoa is cooking, make dressing. Add shallot, ginger, lime juice and honey to food processor or mixing bowl. Whisk together, adding the olive oil slowly to emulsify. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

To assemble the salad, mix the quinoa, mango, cucumber, black beans, and cilantro together with a bit of dressing. Spread the arugula or field greens on a large plate and layer the quinoa mixture over the greens. Top with the avocado slices. Drizzle with a bit more of the dressing and season well with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes: The dressing recipe will make more than is needed for this recipe. Use the leftovers in another dish.