Tropical Buddha Bowls with Black Beans and Plantains

Tropical flavors – mango, avocado, citrus, and plantains – dress up simple black beans in a healthy, hearty one-dish meal… Tropical Buddha Bowls with Black Beans and Plantains with tostones, avocado, and mango pico de gallo can be on your table in less than 45 minutes!

📋 Ingredients Notes

Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

Spicy Citrus Black Beans

• bell peppers – I like a mix of colors. The choice is up to you.
• onion – Red, yellow, sweet, white, and shallots are all fine.
• garlic
• ground chipotle or ancho powder – You can use either ground chipotle, ancho, guajillo, or NM red chile. Avoid generic “chili powder” as it includes other ingredients. You can also mash a canned chipotle with its adobo. Chipotle in adobo has the added benefit of imparting its smoky flavor!
• smoked paprika – When I first created this black bean buddha bowl, I fried up a couple of slices of bacon as we love bacon and its smoky flavor. I have also cooked dried beans with a smoked turkey leg. When I decided to update this post, I decided to keep it simple. Smoked paprika adds the smoky element without the extra step(s).
• lime
• orange
• broth/stock
• black beans – Whether you use canned or cooked from dried, they need to start out cooked!

Tostones

• plantains – Choose under ripe plantains. Green or partly green is good. Avoid yellow, which is a sign that you’re tapping into the sweeter side of plantains. For tostones, the fewer the blemishes, the better.
• Frying oil – You want to use a high heat oil that won’t burn for frying tostones, such as canola, vegetable, refined coconut, and avocado. I prefer refined coconut oil for this recipe as it has a high smoke point and is less subject to oxidation. For more on cooking oil see Smoke Points of Oils.
• salt – Use a good quality flaky or kosher salt.

Garnishes

• mango salsa – Of course my preference is my mango salsa recipe. However, there are many excellent brands commercially available. You could also try kumquat salsa or dragon fruit salsa!
• avocados
• lime
• cilantro

🔪 Cooking Plan

1. Start the black beans.
2. Make the mango salsa.
3. Prep the garnishes.
4. Fry the plantains.
5. Assemble the “buddha bowls.”

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

Spicy Citrus Black Beans

• Sauté the aromatics – Add a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion. Sauté until onion softens, then add the spices and/or chipotle in adobo. NOTE: I love the masher tool at the left for breaking up the chipotle.

• Finish the black beans – Add the broth and citrus juices to the skillet. Stir to combine. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover and simmer while you make salsa, prep garnishes, and fry the tostones.

Tostones

• Prep your plantains– Peel and cut into 1-inch thick rounds.
• Heat oil – Add about 1/2″ of oil to a skillet, and heat to 350°F/175°C to 375℉/191℃.
• First fry – Let the plantain rounds cook in the oil until they reach a golden-yellow color on all sides; avoid any browning. Fry the plantain pieces for about 3-4 minutes per side, until they’re slightly golden and just softened.

• Smash your plantains. I like to use a tostonera to smash the plantains for a more uniform shape. If you don’t have one, you can use the bottom of a greased drinking glass or plate. NOTE: The end pieces will be smaller.
• Final fry. After reheating the oil, fry in oil for at least 2 to 3 minutes. This ensures a crispy edge, yet soft interior. Similar to the first fry, try to avoid deep browning. My oil was a little hot, so I struggled a bit.

Tropical Buddha Bowls with Black Beans and Tostones

• Assemble your Tropical Buddha Bowls – Add a generous scoop of black beans, some tostones, a scoop of mango salsa, and garnish as desired. Pour a “cold one,” and enjoy!

❓ FAQ

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If you’re not ready to try fried plantains, but the flavors sound amazing, try Tropical Black Beans and Rice. I promise this healthy recipe won’t give you a buddha bowl tummy. 😆 Yes? No? Maybe so? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Tropical Buddha Bowls Recipe

Tamara Andersen

Tropical flavors – mango, avocado, citrus, and plantains – dress up simple black beans in a healthy, hearty one-dish meal… Tropical Buddha Bowls with black beans, mango salsa, and tostones can be on your table in less than 45 minutes!

4.85 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Additional Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Caribbean/Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Calories 487 kcal

Equipment

• tostonera – plantain masher

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Black Beans

• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 2 medium bell peppers - I like a mix of colors, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle, ancho, guajillo, or NM red chile powder - (see Ingredients Notes)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 lime - juiced
• 1 small orange - juiced
• 1 ½ cups broth/stock
• 2 cans black beans - rinsed and drained
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper - to taste

Mango Salsa

• 1 large mango - peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 Fresno - serrano, or jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeds & veins removed, finely minced
• 2 scallions - or 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 limes - juiced, 2 tablespoons +/-
• ½ cup cilantro leaves - chopped
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper - to taste

Tostones

• oil - for frying
• 2 large plantains - peeled and cut in 1" thick slices
• sea salt

Garnishes

• 2 avocados - sliced
• 1 lime - cut in wedges
• cilantro - stems removed

Instructions

Black Beans

• To a deep skillet over medium-high heat (375℉/191℃), add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook until fragrant and onion is transparent but not browned. Reduce heat if necessary.
• Add the ground red chile powder (or chipotle in adobo), Spanish paprika, broth or stock, and black beans. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer while you prep the rest of the dish.

Mango Salsa

• Combine the Mango Salsa ingredients in a prep bowl. Stir and check seasoning. Set aside. Prepare garnishes.

Plantains

• To prepare the plantains: Cut ends from each plantain and cut a lengthwise slit through skin. Cut plantains crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and, beginning at slit, pry skin from pieces.
• Heat oil to just hot enough to sizzle in a 12" nonstick skillet. You'll need about ½" of oil. 
• Fry plantains in batches, without crowding, until tender and just golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. With tongs, transfer fried plantains to paper towels to drain.
• Remove skillet from heat and reserve oil. With the bottom of a glass or a tortilla press, flatten plantains to 1/4-inch thick (about 3 inches in diameter).
• Heat reserved oil over moderate heat until medium hot (about 375℉/191℃) but not smoking and fry flattened plantains in batches, without crowding, until golden, about 3 minutes. With tongs, transfer fried plantains to paper towels to drain, and season with salt if desired.

To Assemble Tropical Buddha Bowls

• Arrange a generous portion of black beans mixture, ¼ of the fried plantains, a scoop of mango salsa, and garnishes as shown in the photos. Enjoy!

Notes

I prefer refined coconut oil for this recipe as it has a high smoke point and is less subject to oxidation. For more on cooking oil see Smoke Points of Oils.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g

NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or star rating! Email us with any questions: tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com

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