Prep time: 10 minute  Cooking Time: 50 minutes  Servings: 8-10

Ingredients: 

3 mangoes, peeled, and chopped into ½ inch cubes

Organic olive, coconut, or canola oil

Chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning squash

2 cups quinoa

4 cups water

Pinch of salt

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup slivered almonds

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 pound raw spinach

Citrus Lemon Poppy Dressing: 

Juice of 2 large oranges and 2 lemons

Zest of 1 large orange and 1 lemon

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

4 TBSP poppy seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: 

In a medium saucepan toast almonds and cranberries on medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until you start hearing the seeds “pop”. Remove from heat and keep in pan to let remaining seeds heat and pop.

Cook the quinoa. Remember to toast the quinoa first with a small amount of oil for 10 minutes and stir constantly. Add toasted quinoa, broth, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature completely.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa with all other ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing by mixing orange juice, zest, olive oil, and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over quinoa salad. Serve over raw spinach or arugula and top with chilled or grilled and marinated shrimp. Toss until ingredients are well-dressed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Note: You can add scallions, red pepper, and celery for a “heartier” Summer Quinoa Salad.