Yesterday, I went to my local grocery store to buy some avocados and noticed that mangoes were on sale for 50 cents each. Woohoo! They were just perfect, nice and soft, ready to be eaten. At first, I thought I'd make a mango smoothie, but when I got home and placed the avocados and mangoes together on the counter, I knew I would make a salad with the two fruits mixed in there. In the pantry, I had some organic black beans, so to my Latin roots I went.
Green Salad with Black Beans, Mango, and Avocado (for 1)
1 cup baby spinach
2-3 slices cucumber, diced
1 slice red onion, diced
3 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 medium sized mango, diced
1/2 small avocado, diced
1 cup black beans, drained
2 TB. ricotta salata, crumbled
handful of cilantro, chopped
I layered all the above ingredients in the order as written above. Then I poured the vinaigrette right on top and lightly tossed.
Lime Vinaigrette (I didn't use all of it, just enough to coat the salad)
1 tsp. cumin
dash, cayenne
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. Braggs
3 TB. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
Whisk until emulsified.
I also had two stale corn tortillas in the fridge, so I quartered them, drizzled them with some canola oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and toasted in a 350 degree oven until crispy, about 7 minutes. Homemade corn chips!
The flavors of the salad matched perfectly and because of the beans and avocado, it was quite satisfying and filling. The ricotta salata added a salty touch to the salad and food is always better when cheese is involved. The vinaigrette was just right, adding the slightest hint of smokiness, but not overpowering the bright flavors of the salad. Nothing better than a nice, relaxed lunch with a good NY Times crossword puzzle on the side. My favorite!
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