Home » Recipes » Course » Salads » Mexican Bean Salad with Whipped Avocado

Mexican Bean Salad with Whipped Avocado

May 26, 2023 | 0 comments

This super colourful Mexican bean salad is jam-packed with flavour. Piled on top of creamy whipped avocado and topped with crispy halloumi, it makes a protein-packed, good-for-you salad that’s perfect for meal prep, barbecues and picnics.

Mexican bean salad on top of whipped avocado on a large green platter.

I was never a big fan of bean salads – they always seemed bland and uninteresting – but this salad? I am seriously obsessed with it.

It’s a wonderful mix of colourful, crunchy ingredients, and sweet and salty flavours, all tossed with a smoky, spicy dressing and piled on top of a super zesty whipped avocado sauce. If you think you don’t like bean salads, I urge you to give this one a go.

This is a fab salad year-round but would be wonderful as part of a barbecue spread, or for potlucks or picnics in summer.

Why you’ll love this salad

  • Perfect for meal prep – it will keep well for 5 days in the fridge.
  • Packed with protein – two types of beans and halloumi make this a protein powerhouse.
  • Great for hot days – the only cooking you’ll do is the halloumi!

Ingredients

Ingredients for mexican bean salad laid out on a white marble background and labelled.
  • Beans. I’m using a mix of black beans and red Kidney beans in this recipe. I love this combination for their colour and for their difference in size. My absolute favourite beans to use (when I’m in the UK) are from Bold Bean Co. I can’t express just HOW much more delicious these are than regular tinned beans. They’re flavourful and creamy, not dull and chalky. If you can, try to find jarred beans at the store. If not, canned will be fine, you might just need to add a little more salt to the dressing to make sure the flavour is maximised.
  • Lime. We’re using two limes here – one for the whipped avocado and one for the dressing. We’ll use zest and juice, so try to use fresh limes if you can. If not, bottled lime juice will be ok – start with 2 tablespoons in both the avocado and the dressing, then add more as you taste it.
  • Pineapple. I’m using tinned pineapple chunks here, but you could use fresh. You could also use peaches, nectarines or mangoes.
  • Tomatoes. I like to use a mix of larger tomatoes and small cherry tomatoes, but you can use whatever you prefer. It’s also fun to use multi-coloured tomatoes!
  • Halloumi. I LOVE using halloumi in salads, and here it provides both an extra hit of protein and a lovely, salty textural element. You could use feta in its place, or leave it out for a vegan salad.

How to make it

Start by making the whipped avocado, and mix your dressing.

Chop your tomatoes, celery, scallions and your halloumi into chunks. Pan-fry your halloumi until golden all over, then add everything into a large mixing bowl along with your drained black beans and Kidney beans.

Pour the dressing into the bowl and toss everything together well. Smooth the whipped avocado onto a serving platter, then pile the salad on top. Enjoy with tortilla chips on the side if you like!

Got a question?

How long will the salad last?

It will keep well in the fridge for 5 days, stored in an airtight container. Give it a mix before eating it because the dressing will have settled at the bottom of the container. You can store the whipped avocado separately if you like, or just mix it together to store.

What goes well with bean salad?

You could pair it with grilled meat or fish if you like (honey harissa chicken, miso chicken or grilled maple salmon would work well). You can also serve it as part of a larger salad spread – you could pair it with a roasted butternut squash salad, pesto potato salad or grilled broccoli crunch salad.

How do you keep the whipped avocado from going brown?

The lime juice in it will help this, but my favourite trick for keeping this whipped avocado from going brown is to press a piece of clingfilm directly on top of the avo in the container you’re storing it in. The discolouration comes from exposure to air, so creating a barrier like this will stop it from going brown.

Like this? You might enjoy these quick recipes that use beans

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Mexican bean salad on top of whipped avocado on a large green platter.

Mexican Bean Salad with Whipped Avocado


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This super colourful Mexican bean salad is jam-packed with flavour. Piled on top of creamy whipped avocado and topped with crispy halloumi, it makes a protein-packed, good-for-you salad that’s perfect for meal prep, barbecues and picnics.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the salad –

  • 1 jar of black beans, drained (approx. 500g/1lb)
  • 1 jar of red Kidney beans, drained (approx. 500g/1lb)
  • 400g (14oz) mixed tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes and large vine tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
  • 1 block halloumi
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 scallions
  • 2 celery sticks
  • A handful of fresh mint leaves (or use cilantro/coriander or flat-leaf parsley)

For the smoky dressing –

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the whipped avocado –

  • 1 large avocado
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper
  • Water, to thin

Instructions

  1. Prep the salad. Chop the large tomatoes into wedges, and the cherry tomatoes into quarters. Finely dice the celery and finely slice the scallions. Chop the halloumi into large chunks.
  2. Make the whipped avocado. Add the avocado flesh, juice and zest of 1 lime, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a food processor or chopper and blitz until super smooth. Taste, add more salt if you like.
  3. Cook the halloumi. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small pan and fry the halloumi for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden. Set aside.
  4. Mix the dressing. Add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon of sweet chilli jam, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the zest and juice of 1 lime and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a small bowl. Mix to combine with a small spoon.
  5. Assemble the salad. Add the black beans, kidney beans, pineapple, celery, scallions, mint leaves and tomatoes to a bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Spread the whipped avocado onto a serving plate, then top with the salad. Serve with crispy tortilla chips on the side if you like!

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: I love to use jarred beans for the best flavour and texture, but you can use tinned beans if you like. If you do, you may need to add a little more salt to the dressing. I’m using tinned pineapple here, but you could use fresh.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Play around with the ingredients here – swap the pineapple for peaches, nectarines or mangoes, and add red onion, red bell pepper or other crunchy veggies. Use feta instead of halloumi, or leave it out for a vegan version. 

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The salad will keep well for 5 days, stored in the fridge in an airtight container. 

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 5
  • Category: salads
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl

Keywords: mexican salad, bean salad, taco salad

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

GET YOUR FREE

Fakeaway

Favourites

E-BOOK NOW

This e-book includes my absolute favourite fakeaway recipes (popular takeaway dishes you can make at home!)

Leave a comment & rate this recipe

your email will not be published

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star