I’ve recently discovered that I LOVE mango. In the past, I’ve shied away from this tropical fruit because I had trouble cutting it up and felt like I was wasting a bunch of the flesh. I tried the “cut and score into cubes” method but I wasn’t a fan, maybe I am knife challenged 🙂
For me, I’ve found it’s easiest to peel the fruit first with my trusty vegetable peeler (I use the Titan Peeler – as seen on TV – from Bed, Bath and Beyond), cut off the bottom so it sits flat and then cut off the “cheeks” and slender strips around the core/seed. See here for two methods on cutting up a mango 🙂 The “Alton Brown method” is similar to the one I favor.
I enjoy eating mango on it’s own but managed to save one to incorporate into an easy chop-chop vegetarian salad. This dish has plenty of bright flavors from juicy mango chunks, fresh squeezed lime and cilantro…basically it’s summer in a bowl! Plus, there is a variety of textures from the fresh crunchy bell pepper, creamy avocado chunks and soft but meaty black beans.
Just look at those colors!
This summer salad makes for a light lunch or dinner, but feel free to bulk it up with your favorite grilled protein or serve as a side dish. You could even chop up the ingredients into small pieces and serve it sans the lettuce for a hearty yummy salsa 🙂
Chop-Chop Mango and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
Lettuce, washed and chopped, enough for serving bowls (I used red leaf but romaine would work well)
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can black beans (or about 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked)
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
Juice from 2 limes
1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno, seeded/deveined and finely chopped, optional
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Place chopped lettuce into serving bowls or plates (I used about 1/2 small head lettuce for 4 servings).
2. In a mixing bowl, add lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, jalapeno (if using), sea salt and pepper, and whisk to combine.
3. Add chopped mango, bell pepper, onion, black beans and avocado to lime dressing and toss to combine. Serve over bed of lettuce and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!
This recipe is featured at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Amy’s Simply Sugar and Gluten Free blog this week!
Looks SO refreshing! Mango is great in everything…I love it with quinoa and avocado with a simple lime dressing. yum!
That is one gorgeous salad! Funny, I saw it and immediately thought salsa… looks like we’re on the same page again…
I can definitely see this one being served with a nice piece of grilled fish, either as a salsa or as a side dish.
Hey, I’ve got a mango in the fridge… and fish! 😉
We definitely think alike : ) Fish would be a great compliment to the dish! Oh, how I love grilled fish…YUM!
This looks great! I’m so tired of all-veggie salads… the mango and the avocado are just what I need 🙂
Girl u can cook! This is awesome! I put roasted chicken in mine.
Awww thanks Sharon! 🙂 Summer in a salad, right? YUM I bet chicken was great with this!!!
Yes! And the mango was WOW! Thanks for the tip on cutting it!
Mango and avocado definitely add the wow factor! Glad I could help with the cutting! 🙂
Does Chris eat this??
Yep, sure does! He prefers it as a side salad since he always wants something “carby” for his meals though 🙂
Did you get a new camera? Your pics are looking great!
Thank you Lindsay! I actually didn’t get a new camera but I set up a make-shift “blog shoot” upstairs with white foam-core board and a large TV tray with white linen, I think it makes the colors pop at little more… now I just need more dishes, napkins, props etc to jazz it up a bit!
BTW – your fudge oreo brownies looks AMAZING! Your photos are beautiful as always!!! 🙂
Lovely salad! This looks so fresh and tasty, yum! 🙂
Thanks Sara! It was definitely yummy! 🙂
Wow! This salad is beautiful, and looks absolutely delicious! It’s like summer on a plate, with all of those gorgeous colors.
Can’t wait to try this one, as I’m a HUGE fan of both avocado and mango. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lauren – dont the colors on their own just make you want to eat it? I definitely “eat with my eyes” as they say 🙂 I think you’ll like this if you like love mango and avocado!
What a nice light dinner for summer. Yum!
Just finding you today via TasteSpotting. This looks fantastic. 3 of my favorite things all in one place (mango, avocado, black beans), yes please!
Thanks for stopping by Tracie! I love all 3 too, how could it not be good?!? 🙂
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to your blog before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me.
Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking it
and checking back often!
I’ve been making your salad for a couple of years now (found it on Foodgawker!). I always cut up the fruits and veggies very small and serve it as a salsa with tortilla chips. Never fails to get rave reviews – thank you!