Kiwi Mango Quinoa Salad

I love my husband, I really do.

After nearly four years of marriage I’ve come to accept his quirky habits like removing his socks in the middle of the night and shoving them deep into the recesses of our bed sheets. Likewise, he’s come to endure my tendency to hang my workout clothes on doorknobs to “dry” after coming home from the gym.

Quite the pair, no? ;)

Anyway, there’s just one thing I can’t get past – the way he eats kiwi. 

Instead of cutting the ends off the kiwifruit, removing the peel and neatly slicing or chopping the flesh before consuming, he eats the kiwi like an apple, skin and all. To me, the thought of eating or even licking kiwifruit skin is the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. I can’t even!

It’s easier this way! he claims. Plus, fiber!

To each his own, I suppose, but I am definitely peeling the fruit for Kiwi Mango Quinoa Salad!

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Tropical Fruit Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing

Tart, fuzz-free kiwi, sweet mango, crisp tomatoes, spicy red onion and bright cilantro are mixed with protein-packed quinoa and dressed with a tongue-tingling Lime & Ginger Vinaigrette. Fresh and crisp, this salad is perfect for a light lunch or supper!

First things first, I’ve been posting a few more quinoa recipes than normal, so I thought I’d take a second to give you a refresher course on this awesome super food.

Pronounced “keen-wa” quinoa is actually a seed from South America which has been eaten for thousands of years. Quinoa is gluten free, and high in protein, calcium, iron, and fiber. It’s great for people looking for a high-protein meat alternative, and I personally feel better about eating it in place of white rice, for instance, which can’t hold a nutritional candle to quinoa.

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Quinoa cooks the same as rice – boil 2 parts water –> add 1 part quinoa –> cook until tender – and can be enjoyed in many ways like in casseroles, as a side dish, and in salads. It’s got a mild flavor all its own, which I can best describe as nutty, and has a fun, poppy texture. The quinoa seeds also look like little springs when they’re cooked, which is absolutely precious.

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Quinoa does have a bitter coating on the outside, so make sure you rinse it well in a mesh colander before cooking. Other than that, its quickly become one of my very favorite foods. Especially when it helps pump up my sweet and fruity Kiwi Mango Quinoa Salad.

This salad comes together super quick after putting in a few minutes of face time with the cutting board. Simply combine cooked and cooled quinoa with chopped red onion, cilantro, kiwi, mango and grape tomatoes.

PS I HAVE to show you my favorite method for quickly and easily peeling kiwifruit. First, cut the top and bottom off the fruit.

Next, slide a spoon in between the peel and flesh.

Finally, spin the spoon around the perimeter, and the flesh will pop right out. It seriously takes less than 30 seconds. I keep telling him! ;)

At any rate, after chopping all the salad ingredients, mix up a refreshing Lime & Ginger Vinaigrette to drizzle on top. Combine extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a bowl or jar.

Add lime zest, lime juice, microplaned or finely minced ginger, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

Shake it all up, drizzle over the salad, and serve!

I topped my portion of Kiwi Mango Quinoa Salad with a little bit of crumbled goat cheese because I bought nearly 4lbs of it (not really, but close) in a moment of weakness at Costco this weekend and am pretty much putting it in everything to use it up, but I think the salad would be just as good without it!

The textures and flavors in this salad are out of this world – crunchy, creamy, sweet, and above all – FRESH!

Filling yet light at the same time, I can see myself making big batches of this all summer, for easy lunches on the go all week long.

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Does your roommate or spouse have any “fun” quirky habits you didn’t know about until you moved in together?