Canned beans are a fantastic convenience food. For a little over a buck, you can stock your pantry with a shelf-stable protein source that works in main dishes or in side dishes.

Mango is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, and it makes the salad feel bright and tropical. I add yellow pepper and corn, which make it pretty.Texture (and niacin!) comes from a light sprinkle of cashews and just a few smashed corn tortilla chips, which you can buy or make by roasting corn tortillas in the oven until crisp, about 15 minutes at 350 F.I use shredded kale for this salad, but use any hearty dark green - you get more vitamins with the darker greens, and the bold flavors and textures on this salad need a green that can stand up to them.Swap out the fruit or other ingredients to match your pantry - as long as you have some kind of canned beans, you can make some version of this hearty and versatile salad work.Black Bean and Mango SaladStart to finish: 15 minutesServings: 46 cups shredded kale, or other dark leafy greens1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained if canned1½cups cubed fresh mango, about 1 large mango1 cup organic frozen corn, thawed1 cup chopped tomato, about 2 Roma tomatoes½yellow bell pepper, chopped½large avocado, cubed2 green onions, chopped¼cup cashews, chopped8 baked organic corn chips, lightly crushedChopped cilantro or parsley, for garnishFor the dressing:¼cup prepared tomato (or tomatillo) salsa3 tablespoons lime juice1 tablespoon olive oil¼teaspoon salt¼teaspoon black pepperLay greens on a platter or individual plates. Place on top of greens: beans, mango, corn, tomato, bell pepper, and avocado. Sprinkle on green onions, cashews, crushed corn chips and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour on the salad. Serve.Nutrition information per serving: 296 calories; 114 calories from fat; 13 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 393 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 9 g protein.