Mango Black Bean Salsa

5 from 3 votes

This Mango Black Bean Salsa has been a refreshing change of pace for my kitchen lately. I served it on crispy tostada shells but feel free to get creative with it!

Prep Time15

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 348kcal

Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

2 mangos (approx. 1.5 lbs.)
1/4 onion
1-2 jalapenos
juice of 2 limes
6-8 sprigs cilantro
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cooked black beans

For the tostadas (optional):

4-5 tostada shells
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
freshly chopped cilantro
squeeze of lime

Instructions

I usually start by cutting off the side cheeks of the mangos, leaving a middle sliver that holds the pit. Score each cheek with a knife but be sure not to pierce the skin, similar to scoring an avocado half. Press the cheek down on the cutting board and slice off the squared bits of mango. Alternatively you can scoop them out with a spoon.
For the middle sliver of the mango you can run a paring knife along the inside edge of the skin to quickly remove it. Then start on the outside and slice off any juicy chunks of mango. As you get closer to the pit it'll get harder to cut. Once that happens you've probably retrieved most of the usable mango and can discard the pit.
Finely chop 1/4 onion, 1-2 rinsed and de-stemmed jalapenos, and 6-8 sprigs of rinsed cilantro. I typically twist off and discard the bottom, thicker portion of the cilantro stems, but use the upper stems that hold the leaves together. For a milder batch you can start with a single jalapeno and go from there. I used 2 jalapenos and it had some kick.
Add the chopped mango, onion, jalapeno and cilantro to a mixing bowl along with the juice of 2 limes and a pinch of salt. Combine well and take a taste, adding more jalapeno or lime juice if you want.
Drain and rinse a can of black beans (or use home-cooked beans). Add 1/2 cup black beans to the mixing bowl and combine well, takign a final taste for seasoning.
I served it on warm, crispy tostada shells along with a dusting of chile powder, freshly chopped cilantro, and a final squeeze of lime. For a light dusting of chile powder, simply add 1/2 teaspoon chile powder to a small cheese grater and hold it over your tostadas, tapping lightly. I baked my own tostada shells for this batch, but you can use store-bought tostadas as well. Here's how to bake your own tostada shells.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.

Notes

You'll get 2 cups worth of Salsa from this recipe, which is enough for 4-5 loaded tostadas. I tend to make it in smaller batches as it will always be best when freshly chopped, but feel free to double or triple the recipe for larger groups.

You'll need more heat and acidity than traditional Salsa recipes to compete with the sweetness of the mango. Feel free to add more lime juice or jalapeno to suit your palate.

For a milder batch, start with a single jalapeno (or half a jalapeno) and combine all the ingredients, giving it a taste. To increase the heat simply add more jalapeno.

Try to use pure chile powder if you want to give your tostadas a final dusting. More info on the chile powders I use.

Nutrition