This mango salad is one of my favourite salads to make. It has ripe, juicy mango which adds so much sweetness to the hearty beans and compliments the refreshing crunch of the cucumber. No need to hype up this flavour combo; a simple vinaigrette is all you need. I mean, real simple, like salt, black pepper, vinegar and oil type simple.
Yields 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- Dried black beans, 2 cups
- Cooking Onion, ½ pc
- Lemon, ¼ pc
- Bay leaf, 1-2 pcs
- Red Thai chili pepper, 2 pcs, cut lengthwise
- Altufo mango, 2 cups, diced
- Red onion, ½ cup, diced
- Tomato, ½ cup, diced
- Cucumber, ½ cup, diced
- Fresh Coriander, ¼ cup, finely chopped
- Avocado oil, ¼ cup
- Apple cider vinegar, 2-3 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
What you’ll need:
- Knife and cutting board
- Pot
- Colander
- Slotted spoon
- Mixing bowl
What to do:
Look over the dried black beans and pull out any bad ones. Give them a rinse and then pour them into a pot. Add the onion, lemon, bay leaf and pepper into the pot. Cover with salted water and place over high heat to bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower to medium low heat and cook until tender, approximately 40-45 minutes. Once cooked, strain and set aside to cool.
Prep the other components of the mango salad. Wash and finely chop the fresh coriander. Wash and dice the onion, tomato and cucumber. Items can be added to the bean bowl once cooled. If serving right away, add diced mango with the other prepped items. If prepping this dish ahead of time, combine all ingredients with oil, vinegar and salt at prep except the mango and wait until serving to add it. The mango will oxidize and start to brown if added too early.
Composed salads like this one get more flavourful with time as the ingredients sit and marinate together, especially the beans. Prep ahead when possible to take full advantage and enjoy this all-star summer side.