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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Mexican Kale Salad with Avocado and Black Beans

    Publish Date Feb 12, 2022 · Updated: Aug 7, 2022 by Yasmin

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
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    Here is our healthy, fresh, Mexican inspired Kale Salad with Avocado, Black Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach and Red Onion. We like to serve it with our Creamy Garlic Cashew Cream.
    It makes a great dinner on it's own, or you can use it as a tasty side salad along with your favourite Mexican dishes. We've enjoyed this with Enchiladas, Quesadillas, Chilli and Fajitas.

    The Mexican kale salad with avocado, drizzled with garlic cashew cream, in a dark grey bowl on a white background.
    Mexican Kale Salad with Avocado, drizzled with Garlic Cashew Cream, and served with a wedge of Lime.
    Jump to:
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make it
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Storage
    • Recipe Tip
    • FAQ's
    • Other Meal Ideas
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What You'll Need

    Ingredients

    Mexican kale salad Ingredients on a white background and labelled.
    Mexican Kale Salad Ingredients.
    • Avocado - Avocados are a great source of heart healthy mono-saturated fats, and gut friendly fiber. Including them regularly in your diet is also linked to reduced instances of heart disease. Look for Avocados with a darker green skin, that feel soft when gently pressed. If the avocado is still hard it means it's not quite ripe yet. You want a very ripe Avocado, aka a very creamy Avocado. be careful not to mistake a bruised avocado for a ripe one though! We also love to use Avocados for our Delicious Chunky Guacamole.
    • Black Beans - Black beans help prevent cancer because they're filled with phytochemicals that protect your cells from damage — and black beans are thought to be even more packed with antioxidants than other varieties of beans. You can add them to salads, like this one, or chilli, soups, tacos, or burritos. They're also good in desserts - go and check out our Vegan Black Bean Brownies!
    • Cherry Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes are cheap, tasty, sweeter than larger tomatoes, and great for your body. The iron in the Kale, Spinach and Black Beans will be absorbed more easily by your body when eaten with Cherry Tomatoes. This is due to their Vitamin C content.
    • Cilantro - Commonly called Coriander in the UK. You can buy big bunches of fresh coriander from greengrocers and supermarkets cheaply. Using more fresh herbs in our diets not only adds tonnes of flavour, but it's great for your body. For instance, a 10g serving of fresh Coriander contains nearly 40% of your recommended daily Vitamin K intake.
    • Cucumber - If you're finding it hard to get your kids to drink more water, get them to eat it instead. Cucumbers are 95% water! They contain Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium & Zinc.
    • Kale - High in iron as well as many other vitamins and minerals. It's a Super-food because of how good it is for us. We used curly Kale in this recipe, it looks great in salads, and is the most common type sold in supermarkets. Other ways to enjoy it are blending it in to smoothies, or by adding it to a creamy pasta bake.
    • Olive Oil - This is for massaging the kale leaves so that they soften enough to be enjoyable to eat. They can be quite tough if you don't. Adding healthy fats to your salads, in small quantities, is a great way to boost heart and brain health.
    • Lime Juice - A common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It also helps to preserve your Avocado. Lime Juice contains a lot of antioxidants which stops it from oxidizing (turning brown).
    • Red Onion - Red onion is sweeter and milder than white onion. Its used in this salad as it compliments the other ingredients, also for the slight crunch it gives and for it's colour (think 'eat the rainbow'). If you don't enjoy the taste of red onion you can swap it for scallions (UK - spring onions).
    • Salt - This is for massaging the Kale prior to adding in the rest of the salad ingredients. We use it to help soften the kale leaves and add flavour. We also use a small amount in our Garlic Cashew Cream, again for flavour. People tend to be scared off of using salt in recipes, but it's important to note that salt is important for our health too, we need it as much as we need other nutrients. The key is to not add too-much. Always start by adding a little salt, and taste your food as you're making it, adding more as needed. If you're used to eating high salt foods, it will take a few weeks of using less, for your taste buds to adjust.
    • Spinach - A well known Superfood. Loaded with nutrients, in a low-calorie package. Dark, leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair, and bone health. They also provide protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals. Wash your spinach before use.

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Colander or Sieve for rinsing the beans
    • Large Salad Bowl
    • Sharp Knife

    How to Make it

    Side by side photos of the kale in a glass bowl. On the left is the kale before being rubbed, and on the right is a photo of lime juice being squeezed over the kale.
    Steps 1 & 2.
    • Step 1 - Wash your Kale and remove any large stalks (by cutting or ripping them away from the leaves). Tear in to bite sized pieces and place in all to your large salad bowl.
    • Step 2 - Add the Olive Oil, Salt, and Lime Juice to the bowl of Kale (check the recipe card below for quantities).
    Side by side photos of the kale in a glass bowl. On the left is the kale being massaged, on the right is the kale after being rubbed.
    Steps 3 & 4.
    • Steps 3 & 4 - Now it's time to massage your Kale. Do this by grabbing a small handful of the Kale at a time and rub it between your thumb and fingers, along with the oil, lime juice and salt. Make sure everything is evenly coated.
      You'll feel the Kale start to soften as you rub it. The more you rub it, the softer it will get. Taste a piece , if its still a little tough, continue rubbing for another couple of minutes.
    Side by side photos of the salad ingredients in the salad bowl. On the left is all the chopped up ingredients and blackbeans, and on the right is all the ingredients mixed together.
    Steps 5 & 6.
    • Step 5 - Dice the Red Onion and Coriander. Then chop the Avocado and Cucumber in to chunks. Next quarter the Cherry Tomatoes, and loosely chop the Spinach. Transfer all of those in to your salad bowl along with the Kale and Black Beans.
    • Step 6 - Toss it all together and squeeze over a little Lime Juice before serving.

    Substitutions & Variations

    As with most salads, it's very easy to customise this recipe a little more. Below are some suggestions on what you can add in to your salad to mix things up a bit:

    An overhead image of the Mexican kale salad drizzled with garlic cashew cream in a dark grey bowl.
    Mexican Kale Salad with Avocado and Blackbeans, drizzled with our delicious Garlic Cashew Cream.
    • Mango - Cut up a whole medium sized Mango in to chunks about the size of your fingertip. Add to the bowl when you add in the rest of the ingredients, then stir together.
    • Quinoa - To boost the protein content of your salad you can add in some cooked, cooled Quinoa. To cook your Quinoa, firstly measure out the amount you want to use (1 Cup should be adequate). Place it in a sieve and rinse it well, using your fingers to move the quinoa around in the sieve as it rinses.
      Once rinsed, add the 1 cup Quinoa to a saucepan along with 2 cups water. Bring to the boil and then reduce down to a simmer until the Quinoa has soaked up all the water (roughly 16-18 minutes). To be sure how to cook your Quinoa correctly, check the packet instructions.
      Once cooked, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down. Once cooled, fluff up the Quinoa with a fork, prior to adding it to your salad bowl.

    Storage

    An un-dressed salad can last in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you've already added a salad dressing, such as our suggested Garlic Cashew Cream, the salad leaves may only last a day in the fridge before wilting too much.
    For best results when storing, place 1 or 2 pieces of kitchen roll to the bottom of the bowl or tub that you are planning to store your salad in, prior to adding the salad. This will help soak up any excess moisture, and therefore make your Kale Salad last longer.

    Recipe Tip

    If using a salad dressing, we recommend waiting until the salad is served before adding it, to avoid the spinach wilting too soon. Alternatively serve the dressing separately, and everyone add it themselves.

    FAQ's

    How do I massage Kale for salads?

    Add Olive Oil, Lime Juice and Salt to a bowl of prepared Kale. Then take a small handful of the Kale at a time, rub it between your thumb and fingers and make sure everything is evenly coated.
    You'll feel the Kale start to soften as you rub it. The more you rub it, the softer it will get. Taste a piece , if its still a little tough, continue rubbing for another couple of minutes.

    Why massage Kale salad?

    Kale is too tough to eat in its raw state. It needs tenderising. you do this by either cooking it, or massaging it.

    Other Meal Ideas

    Here are a few of our other Delicious Recipes you might like to try.

    • 3 stuffed portobello mushrooms arranged on a small plate.
      Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
    • A close up of four satay tofu skewers on a white plate, on a white background, garnished with fresh coriander and sesame seeds, and drizzled with peanut sauce.
      Satay Tofu Skewers
    • A photo looking down from above of a grey bowl filled with penne pesto pasta.
      Penne Pesto Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes
    • Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese

    Recipe

    An overhead image of the Mexican kale salad drizzled with garlic cashew cream in a dark grey bowl.

    Mexican Kale Salad with Avocado and Black Beans

    Here is our healthy, fresh, Mexican Kale Salad with Avocado. It makes a great dinner on it's own, or you can use it as a tasty side salad.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Lunch & Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 199kcal
    Author: Yasmin

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Colander or Sieve for rinsing the Black Beans
    • Large Salad Bowl
    • Sharp Knife

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 4 cups Curly Kale washed with stems removed
    • 4 cups Spinach washed
    • 1 ½ cups Cherry Tomatoes
    • ½ cup Fresh Cilantro
    • 1 ½ cups Cucumber roughly ½ medium Cucumber
    • ½ Red Onion
    • 1 cup Black Beans tinned or pre soaked
    • 1 Avocado large and ripe
    • ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ Lime

    Instructions

    • Wash your Kale and remove any large stalks (by cutting or ripping them away from the leaves).
      4 cups Curly Kale
    • Tear in to bite sized pieces and place it all into to your large salad bowl.
    • Add the Olive Oil, Salt, and Lime Juice to the bowl of Kale.
      ½ tablespoon Olive Oil, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ Lime
    • Now it's time to massage your Kale. Do this by grabbing a small handful of the Kale at a time, and rubbing it between your thumb and fingers, along with the oil, lime juice and salt. You want to make sure everything is evenly coated. You will start to feel the Kale soften the more you rub it. The more you rub it, the softer it will get. Taste a piece when you think it's done, and if it still feels a little tough, continue rubbing for another couple of minutes.
    • Rinse your Blackbeans. (whether pre-soaked or tinned)
      1 cup Black Beans
    • Dice the Red Onion and Coriander.
      ½ Red Onion, ½ cup Fresh Cilantro
    • Chop the Avocado and Cucumber in to chunks.
      1 ½ cups Cucumber, 1 Avocado
    • Quarter the Cherry Tomatoes, and loosely chop the Spinach.
      1 ½ cups Cherry Tomatoes, 4 cups Spinach
    • Transfer all of those in to your salad bowl along with the Kale and Black Beans, then mix together using a large spoon or toss together with salad servers.

    Notes

    If using a salad dressing, we recommend waiting until the salad is served before adding it, to avoid the spinach wilting too soon. Alternatively you can serve your dressing separately, and everyone can add it themselves.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 1113mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10027IU | Vitamin B1: 1mg | Vitamin B2: 1mg | Vitamin B3: 2mg | Vitamin B5: 1mg | Vitamin B6: 1mg | Vitamin C: 110mg | Vitamin E: 2mg | Vitamin K: 639µg | Calcium: 165mg | Copper: 1mg | Folate: 202µg | Iron: 8mg | Manganese: 1mg | Magnesium: 113mg | Phosphorus: 194mg | Selenium: 2µg | Zinc: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know what you thought of it in the comment section below. We'd love to hear from you!

    More Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kate

      March 23, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I really enjoyed this salad. I also added some pomegranate seeds to mine though, they really went well together.

      Reply
      • Yasmin

        April 04, 2022 at 11:36 am

        A brilliant idea Kate, and something that we also sometimes do. That's the beauty of a salad like this, you can swap out or add different elements and give it a completely different twist.

        Reply

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