I’m super excited to include this mango and black bean salad as our Series of Unfortunate Events side dish! In the books, this recipe is credited to the author’s lost love—the mysterious Beatrice. It’s considered her signature dish, and I can see why! This recipe is easy, healthy, AND super delicious. The sweet, juicy mango plays off the mellow beans and crisp celery, hitting all the right notes along the way. And the hint of lime in the dressing adds a touch of freshness, making it perfect on a hot day.
Beatrice’s Black Bean Mango Salad
“They had both been busy in the kitchen…the luncheon was due to start any minute, and Sunny’s mother was quickly mixing up a salad of sliced mango, black beans, and chopped celery mixed with black pepper, lime juice, and olive oil.
“‘This isn’t a very complicated recipe, Sunny,’ her mother had said, ‘but if I arrange the salad very nicely on fancy plates, people will think I’ve been cooking all day. Often, when cooking, the presentation of the food can be as important as the food itself.'”
— A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Slippery Slope
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 can black beans
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, lightly packed
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 mango
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- For the Dressing: juice from 1 lime, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/4-1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar, 1/8 tsp kosher salt, 4 twists freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
Makes 4 servings
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Drain and thoroughly rinse your beans. Coarsely chop your cilantro. Dice your mango and red pepper. If you’re new to mangoes and aren’t sure how to cut them, there are a lot of valid techniques. Here’s how I like to get the flesh off a mango:
- Place the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a seal-able container (like a small mason jar or Tupperware container), add all your dressing ingredients. Seal the container and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until completely combined.
- Drizzle the dressing over the bowl of beans, mango, pepper, celery, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
- Cover the bowl and chill for 10 minutes or until ready to serve. I placed mine in individual serving bowls.
- Serve at a last minute luncheon or while reading about the Baudelaires’ climb up the Vertical Flame Diversion in The Slippery Slope!
I’ve had two cans of black beans sitting on my kitchen counter for a couple of weeks now. I had intended to make spicy side dish for enchiladas, but then I found out my significant other doesn’t like black beans, so I’m just sort of like “now what?”. I could totally see myself making this though. I love mangoes, and that dressing sounds so refreshing. I’m thinking I need to make this for a few work lunches next week…
It definitely makes a great lunch. Since I bought extra ingredients for pictures, I had enough leftovers to make the salad again, so after the Mister and I ate it for dinner, I was able to have more the next day!
Oooo this sounds yummy! I love mango in anything! Weirdly I’m allergic to the peel but I love the fruit! It’s so weird. XD I’ll have to try this sometime–with gloves lol.
storitorigrace.blogspot.com
I’m the same way with bananas! I can have things like banana bread, but raw bananas make my throat feel scratchy. I think it’s the fibers inside the peel that do it.
I’m glad I’m not the only one with super weird food quirks. XD
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Hi! It’s Kelli from Yum Goggle- I love this photo and want to put it on Instagram but I cannot find an account for you – do you have one? If so, please follow us (and let us know it’s you) so we can follow you back, then tag you. The reason this is important is because occasionally, Huffington Post, Buzz Feed, Better Homes & Gardens – several of those magazines follow us. But anyway, they ask to feature photos we post on Instagram. Of course we notify the blogger and have them respond with the original link so they get all the traffic, however, you can’t respond without an instagram account. It’s begun to happen often so we only post photos on there of bloggers who have Instagram accounts…………if you have one let us know!!
Thanks for thinking of me! I’m glad you like the photo. I do not have an instagram account, but if I consider getting one in the future, I’ll let you know! 🙂
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