Who's loving that mangos are back in season right now?! I love making this black bean and mango salad when I have mangos on hand. When I was working full time (pre-kid, not pre-pandemic!), this salad was a meal prep MUST for me and Rajan.
I'm a year-round mango lover. It's nice to have extra mangos on hand and freeze them for use in smoothies, salads, popsicles (recipe coming soon!), by itself...you get the picture. I love mangos.
I also don't like my salads to be basic. Remember the tempeh salad with miso ginger sauce? This is another not so boring salad right here. And definitely a favorite.
So here's what you need for this Black Bean and Mango Salad:
- Veggies: I used spinach, green onions, red onions, bell peppers. In the past, I have also included shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and avocados. Really easy to use up what's in your fridge!
- Beans: I used canned black beans in this recipe. Try to find a reduced sodium or no sodium added option if you are using black beans and don't forget to rinse them! You can also make fresh black beans in the Instant pot if you'd like!
- Mangos: Because that's what adds the perfect sweetness to this savory salad!
- Dressing: I make a very simple lime dressing to go with this which includes olive oil, lime juice, cumin powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Another dressing I LOVE to use is my Avocado Cilantro Dressing.
- Optional additions: grains (I've used quinoa and brown rice before), avocados, cilantro, cheese/vegan cheese, salsa, or a side of vegan esquites.
There's so many ways to put this salad together. It's hearty enough that you can eat it alone as a salad. I, however, was extra hungry so I mixed it up with the dressing and put it in a fresh tortilla. With a side of vegan esquites :).
Add this to your next meal prep list (working from home or not...it's amazing!). Let me know if you tried this in the comments below!
Black Bean and Mango Salad with Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans, 15 oz, no sodium added
- 1 ripe mango; diced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 cup bell peppers, chopped
- 1 small red onion
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- cilantro; optional
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine lime juice, cumin powder, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk until well combined.
For the Salad:
- Rinse and drain the black beans.
- In a salad bowl, toss the spinach, bell peppers, onions, and green onions.
- Add the black beans and mangos just before serving. If using this salad to meal prep, keep the black beans and mango separate and mix just before eating.
- Toss the salad with the dressing or drizzle on your own plated salad.
- Optional: top with cilantro, jalapeños, avocados, salsa, sour cream, cheese, whatever your tastebuds are craving!
Notes
- I made my dressing in advance to let the garlic flavors soak in.
- A great addition to the salad was some vegan esquites that I used to mix in.
- This made enough for the 2 of us plus left overs for both of us the next day. If you are using this to meal prep for the week, I recommend doubling the recipe.
Excellent