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!