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Tropical Barley and Mango Salad

This hearty Caribbean-inspired salad combines chewy barley and tender black beans with sweet mango, juicy grape tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Lime juice, olive oil, and cumin create a bright, gently spiced dressing that balances the fruit and legumes, making it a satisfying vegetarian choice for a summer lunch or picnic.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook25 mins
  • Serves4
  • DifficultyMedium
Tropical Barley and Mango Salad

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Tropical Barley and Mango Salad, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

49 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
52 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
9 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
94 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

80
Heart Health
46
Metabolic
57
Digestive
39
Inflammatory
35
Performance
57
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add barley, cover, and simmer until tender yet firm to the bite, about 20 minutes. Drain any excess cooking liquid and let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.

  2. 2

    Mash mango against the side of a large bowl using a fork or potato masher. Whisk in lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt. Add barley, remaining mango, black beans, grape tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño; toss until well combined.

  3. 3

    Drain any extra cooking liquid and let it cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.

  4. 4

    Mash 1/4 of the mango against the side of a large bowl with a fork or potato masher.

  5. 5

    Whisk in the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  6. 6

    Add the barley, the remaining mango, black beans, grape tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno; toss until well combined.

About This Recipe

Tropical Barley and Mango Salad is made with 12 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 45 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Barley, Black Beans, Fresh Cilantro, and Grape Tomato. Each serving provides about 298.21 kcal, and is a good source of fiber.

Recipe Questions

What is Tropical Barley and Mango Salad made of?
The main ingredients are Barley, Black Beans, Fresh Cilantro, Grape Tomato, Ground Cumin. The full list of 12 is above.
How long does it take to make Tropical Barley and Mango Salad?
About 45 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 25 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 298.21 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Tropical Barley and Mango Salad easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 12 ingredients and 6 steps.
Is Tropical Barley and Mango Salad healthy?
Tropical Barley and Mango Salad has an easyChef Pro health score of 49/100. Per serving, it provides 298.21 calories and 6.92 g of protein, or 14% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: added sugars at 7.44 g (15% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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