Mango Black Bean Salad

This Mango Black Bean Salad is hearty, bursting with flavor, and packed with plant-based protein and fiber. Made with 8 low-budget, pantry-friendly ingredients in 15 minutes (not including marinating time)!

High-Protein, High-Flavor Black Bean Salad with Mango

Black beans are an inexpensive vegan staple, packed with fiber, protein, complex carbs, and a creamy, slightly earthy flavor (perfect for making chili and meat-free meatballs). When combined with sweet and creamy mango, crunchy fresh red pepper, and a zingy citrus and vinegar dressing, this mango black bean salad is a must-try for taco nights, potlucks, BBQs, and anytime you’re craving a sweet and savory fresh salad!

The combination of ingredients creates a simple salad that is not only a wonderful combination of color, flavor, and texture, but it will also keep you satisfied until your next meal! Not to mention that this mango salad recipe is also naturally gluten-free, oil-free, low fat, vegetarian, and vegan!

Enjoy this Mexican black bean salad with mango as a light meal or side dish any time you can get your hands on fresh mango; you won’t regret it. With just a handful of inexpensive ingredients, one bowl, 5 minutes prep, and a versatile recipe (keep reading for all our favorite mix-ins and recipe variations), this salad recipe is great for adding to your fresh salad/salsa rotation alongside mango cucumber salsa, vegan calabacitas, and this delicious 3-bean salad!

The Ingredients

This vegan black bean salad with mango requires just a handful of inexpensive pantry and kitchen basics, including:

• Beans: We used 2 cans of black beans. Use low sodium if you can. You can also cook the beans from dry (you’ll need around 1 cup dried black beans).
• Mango: Use a just-ripe mango that has some give when gently squeezed but isn’t overly ripe/soft (otherwise, it will be mushy, fall apart, and release excess juices).
• Bell pepper: We used red bell pepper. You could also use orange, yellow, or green (though the latter has a more bitter flavor).
• Green onions: (scallions/spring onions) Use the whites and greens.
• Red pepper flakes: Adjust the amount to personal taste.
• Red wine vinegar: We love the tang and flavor of red wine vinegar. If you don’t have some, you could experiment with balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Citrus: You’ll need a combination of the zest and juice from one orange and one lime (or lemon) to make a simple lime dressing.

Optional add-ins & Recipe Variations

This mango side dish is actually fairly versatile. Here are just a few ways to adapt the recipe to your liking!

• Herbs: A large handful of chopped cilantro and/or parsley would work wonderfully in this Mexican black bean salad and add a lot of flavor at a minimal cost.
• Avocado: Making this black bean salad with mango and avocado will add creaminess, heart-healthy fats, and a ton of antioxidants. Use ½-1 medium avocado, diced.

If making a black bean mango avocado salad, only add the avocado when serving; otherwise, the shelf life is reduced to just one day (as the avocado will brown).

• Corn: Use canned or frozen (and thawed). Cook and cool frozen corn first if you want to eliminate the slight risk of food-borne illness from the par-cooked corn). Corn will add color, flavor, and texture to the black bean and mango salad. For more flavor, grill/brown the corn kernels first. Add ½-1 cup.
• Quinoa: Add cooked quinoa (regular or tri-color) to make a hearty quinoa mango black bean salad. 1 cup of cooked quinoa should be enough but increase it slightly if preferred.
• Tomato: Either use a handful of cherry tomatoes (in halves or quarters) or dice 1-2 large tomatoes. Feel free to de-seed the tomato to avoid extra liquid in the mango bean salad.
• Red onion: Has a slightly pungent flavor that pairs well with the sweetness of the mango and the creaminess of the beans. Use ½-1 small red onion finely chopped. Soak in ice water for 10 minutes first to get rid of a little of the harsh, raw flavor.
• Chili: For extra heat, you could add some finely chopped fresh chili (like a jalapeño pepper). Adjust the amount and type of chili pepper to your desired heat levels.
• Cumin: A pinch of ground cumin works very well in this mango bean salad.
• Sweetener: If you find the vegan black bean salad overall a little too tart, feel free to add a drizzle of agave/maple syrup to taste.

How to Make Mango Black Bean Salad?

How to Cut a Mango?

1. First, hold the mango upright with the stem side up. The mango has a very obvious ‘wider/longer’ side when looking from above. This is where the direction of the pit is inside the fruit.
2. With a long, sharp knife, cut about ½-inch away from the stem all the way through the mango to slice off one ‘cheek’ and repeat with the other side.
3. Then, cut vertical and horizontal lines ½-inch apart in both cheeks almost to the skin, without going through it. You can slide it down over a cup, use a spoon, or invert the ‘cheeks’ and use a sharp knife to remove the flesh.
4. You can also then peel the center section and use a spoon to scrape off any remaining fruit as a snack (to avoid waste!).

Alternatively, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the mango (apart from a small section around the stem to hold on to, as it’s very sticky/slippery). Then dice the mango. That way, you won’t waste any flesh and will have neat diced mango pieces.

Assemble the Black Bean Salad with Mango

1) First, drain and rinse the black beans. Then peel and chop the bell pepper and mango into ½-inch pieces.

2) Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, carefully toss, and then allow it to ‘marinate’ in the refrigerator, covered, for at least an hour before serving.

How to Store?

We recommend assembling the salad up to a day in advance to allow it to marinate overnight in the fridge. It’s at its best texturally within the first 1-2 days. However, you can store the leftovers for 3-4 days.

The mango will release more juices, and the ingredients will soften/ become mushy over time.

As there aren’t too many fresh elements in this salad either (like tomato/cucumber), you may be able to freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying. Drain any excess liquid if preferred, taste, and adjust the seasonings/ add more fresh juice and lime zest, etc., to freshen up the flavor if needed.

How to Serve Mango Black Bean Salad?

You can serve this black bean salad with mango as a hearty side salad, a mango black bean salsa, or even a light main. Some ideas include:

• As a chip topper: Serve with tortilla chips and other ‘dipping tools’/ chips.
• Tacos: Use as a mango black bean salsa on or alongside tacos, like these roasted veggie tacos or prime shred tacos.
• Burrito: Add within or alongside a burrito, like these quinoa burritos or fully loaded burritos with mole sauce.
• Lettuce wraps: Spoon it into lettuce and top it off with avocado slices (like these ‘almost raw tacos’) or like this Tofu Lettuce Wrap. Simple and delicious!
• Nachos: Pile this mango side dish onto ‘cheezy’ vegan nachos; you won’t regret it.
• Stuffed peppers: Enjoy alongside a grain stuffed pepper.
• With burgers: You can use the mango black bean salad to top burgers (like this spicy sweet potato burger or Southwest black bean burger) or serve alongside them.
• At a BBQ: Serve alongside all your favorite BBQ dishes like kabobs, grilled tofu steaks, BBQ tempeh, and options like this BBQ tempeh sandwich.
• With protein: To create a complete meal, serve the salad alongside your protein of choice like marinated tofu, tofu/tempeh kebabs, vegan chick’n, etc.

You can also enjoy the mango bean salad over a bed of leafy greens and with a grain (like rice, quinoa, etc.) for a quick, complete meal.

FAQs

Can I substitute the beans for others?

Yes, you can make this mango bean salad with pinto beans, kidney beans, Great Northern beans, etc.

How can you tell a mango is ripe?

The main way is to give it a gentle squeeze. If ripe, there should be a little give. It should also smell sweet and fruity near the stem.

Can I substitute the mango?

If you’re unable to find mango, fresh or grilled pineapple should also work well.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• To adjust the heat: Simply adjust the amount of red pepper flakes added.
• Don’t skip the ‘resting’ time: Allow the mango side dish at least an hour to marinate as this will allow all the flavors to meld, which is what takes this simple black bean salad with mango to new heights of tastiness.
• Top tip for low budgets: Using dried beans is more inexpensive than canned. Cook up a massive batch in one go and store the excess in the freezer for several months. That way, you always have some handy when needed.
• Don’t use an overripe mango: The sweet spot for any salad with mango is to use a fruit that has some give when pressed but is still reasonably firm. That way, it will hold its shape when chopped and won’t be mushy.
• To add salt and pepper: The black pepper can be added with all the other ingredients. However, it’s best to only salt the salad (if you want to) when served on plates. Adding it directly into the mango black bean salad will pull excess liquid from the mango and make it mushy quicker.
• Adjust the texture: Easily adjust this mango bean salad into a mango black bean salsa by simply chopping the ingredients into smaller pieces, and voila! In fact, you can chop the ingredients as fine/chunky as you’d like.

More Easy Vegan Bean Recipes

• Quick Brown Rice and Bean Burritos
• Black Bean and Onion Pilaf
• Southwest stuffed bell peppers
• Vegan bean quesadilla
• Instant Pot pinto beans
• Barley and bean soup

You might also enjoy browsing through this collection of 59 Ways to Use a Can of Beans.

This recipe was generously donated by my friend Simone, founder of the blog VegConcious. She brought it to one of my potlucks and it was like a party in my mouth.

Photos by Alfonso Revilla