Mango and Black Bean Salad with Grilled Tuna

A colorful entrée salad featuring chunks of grilled tuna steaks, black beans, sweet mango, tomato, cucumber and green onion dressed in a lime dressing with a hint of mint, served atop a bed of lettuce and garnished with feta crumbles. For an easier, time-saving version of this salad, you can use canned tuna in place of the fresh tuna steaks.

Recipe Ingredients:

Island Lime Dressing:
2 to 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

Salad:
1 pound tuna steaks or 2 (9-ounce) cans chunk light tuna in water, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 large ripe mango, peeled, cubed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
4 green onions and tops, sliced
Island Lime Dressing (recipe follows) or a prepared vinaigrette-type dressing
Lettuce leaves
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Cooking Directions:

1. For Island Lime Dressing: Whisk all ingredients in small bowl; refrigerate until serving time. Makes 1/3 cup.
2. For Salad: Grill tuna over medium-hot coals, or broil 6 inches from heat source until fish is tender and flakes with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Cool several minutes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Or, rinse and drain canned tuna and cut into 1-inch pieces.
3. Combine tuna, beans, mango, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions in bowl; drizzle with Island Lime Dressing and toss gently. Spoon salad onto lettuce-lined plates; sprinkle with feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings (1 1/4 cups each).

Tips:

• 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained can be substituted for the mango.
• If desired, garnish salad with avocado and mint sprigs.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.