This Black Bean and Mango Salad is so quick and easy, it barely qualifies as a recipe. But it explodes with pizzazz, pairing the sweet summer burst mango (let’s hear it for fresh, seasonal and local — summer means mango season in South Florida) with a zing of chili. Black beans add fiber for fullness and protein because that’s what your body wants. Besides, everything works with basic black. All this and it’s fat-free, too.
America is red, white and blue. America is black and brown, latinx and BIPOC. America is straight and LGBTQ. It is every religion, and agnostic, too. As diverse as we all are, we are all Americans. Together, we are who our founding fathers dreamt of when they created the Constitution. We are the People of the United of America.
Wishing everyone a safe, healthy Independence Day.
Fireworks Black Bean and Mango Salad
I created this recipe a few years ago for a Fourth of July party — remember when we could party together? It’s a no-cook wonder that can sit out on a picnic table for hours without wilting. It combines tender, earthy-flavored black beans, sweet, juicy mango, tart lime, sweet and hot peppers, soft, fresh greens, and buttery toasted pepitas — flavors and textures and colors that come together like a burst of fireworks. Like America itself.
This salad is so quick and easy, it barely qualifies as a recipe. But it explodes with pizzazz, pairing the sweet summer burst mango (let’s hear it for fresh, seasonal and local — summer means mango season in South Florida) with a zing of chili. Black beans add fiber for fullness and protein because that’s what your body wants. Besides, everything works with basic black. All this and it’s fat-free, too.
Serve atop the fresh local farmers market greens of your choice.
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeno, minced (wear gloves when handling chilies — really. Yes, even you.)
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 4 cups cooked black beans)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 mangos, peeled and diced
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish, optional but adding fabulous crunch, not to mention goodly amounts of manganese and magnesium
- 3-4 cups fresh greens like spinach, arugula or frisee
Instructions
- In a large bowl, gently mix together jalapeno, diced red pepper and celery. Add the black beans and combine well.
- Add the cumin and the lime and toss to coat.
- Just before serving, add the mangos and chopped cilantro. Season to taste. Place atop greens and serve at once, garnishing with toasted pepitas, if you like (and you will).
Other Mango Recipes to Enjoy
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