Grilled Tropical Black Bean Salad

My cousin Shaina graduated from college this year and we all got together to celebrate. Shaina is a fan of the blog and asked if I would make a little something for the buffet table. I was more than happy to oblige. I made some Margarita Cupcakes and then I wanted something tropical and savory to contribute as well. I knew that I would be home at my parent’s house to make the food so I figured that it would be a perfect opportunity to bond with my dad over the grill. I got a bunch of veggies, threw them on the grill, and we were in business. For the dressing, I knew that I wanted cumin and the other seasonings were a mix of what my mom had on hand and what I thought would go well with the veggies. If you don’t have everything listed, don’t worry. I like cumin with black beans, but they are all just flavors that can be substituted and interchanged with others. Put in what you like. This salad had lots of great flavors. The grilled mangoes had a softer, more complex flavor that was perfect with peppers, beans, and grilled onions. I loved the sharp, spiced dressing and the cilantro for freshness. I think this salad would do well along chicken, beef, fish, or pork so it is a real winner in my book.
Grilled Tropical Black Bean Salad
29 oz. can black beans
3 mangoes
1 large Vidalia onion
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
1 jalapeño pepper
1 bunch cilantro
Dressing:
2 limes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 Tbs. pepper

I'm not actually allowed to play with my dad's grill, so he did the actual grilling. I watched from the sidelines.
1. Peel and slice the mangoes off the seed into large pieces.
2. Peel and quarter the onion and seed the bell peppers and leave in large pieces.
3. Toss the veggies hunks and the whole jalapeño with vegetable oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Place on a hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until they have great grill marks and are still tender.
5. Take the charred, whole jalapeño, slice it and remove the seeds. Rinse it off in under some cold water and finely dice. Add to a small bowl that you will use to make the dressing.
6. Chop the charred veggies into bite-size chunks and place in a large bowl.
7. Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the bowl of grilled veggies.
8. Make the dressing by whisking together lime juice, oil, spices, salt and pepper with the diced jalapeño.
If there are other flavors that you'd like to substitute, you can do that here until the dressing is just the way you like it.
9. Pour dressing over the salad, toss in the chopped cilantro and test for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed and enjoy.