Black Bean Mango Salad
A vibrant and refreshing salad that combines sweet mango, hearty black beans, and crisp vegetables, perfect for warm weather and year-round enjoyment.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 3 cups diced mango (about 2 large or 3 medium mangoes)
- 1 cup diced cucumber (½ English cucumber or 2 Persian)
- ½ cup diced red onion (about ½ medium onion)
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper (about ½ pepper)
- 2 tablespoons seeded and fine diced jalapeno (1 large jalapeno or 2 serrano)
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
- 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (or Napa cabbage)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped leaves and light green stems)
- 1 can cooked black beans, rinsed and drained (one 14 oz can) or 1½-2 cups cooked beans
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 large lime)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (or pink salt, or ⅛ teaspoon regular salt) adjust after tossing
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (optional - skip for mild)
- ½ teaspoon agave syrup (or maple syrup or honey for non-vegan version)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prep and chop
- Using a vegetable chopper, dice mango, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno aiming for roughly ½-inch dice so each bite has a little bit of everything.
- If you don’t have a chopper, slice the mango cheeks away from the pit, score the flesh into cubes, and scoop them out with a spoon. Peel and dice the cucumber and pepper with a chef’s knife.
- Slice the tomatoes in half, slice the cabbage thinly, and finely chop cilantro. Add to a large bowl, along with cooked black beans.
- Thinly slicing the cabbage increases surface area for the dressing to cling to, giving the salad more consistent flavor.
Make the dressing
- Add lime juice and seasoning ingredients (sea salt, black pepper, cayenne if using, and agave syrup) to a small bowl. Pour the olive oil while whisking so it emulsifies and creates a rich dressing.
- For a creamier dressing, whisk in 1–2 tablespoons of mashed avocado or plain yogurt, or pulse everything in a small blender for 10–20 seconds.
Toss and chill
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or sweetness.
- Toss gently to avoid mashing the mango and tomatoes. If the salad will sit for more than an hour, reserve half the dressing and add more just before serving to keep textures bright.
- Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy! Chill for at least 20–30 minutes to let flavors meld, but serve within 1–2 hours for the freshest texture.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep dressing separate if making ahead to preserve freshness. This salad is not ideal for freezing due to texture changes in fresh produce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 250mgFiber: 8gSugar: 10g
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