Bean Salad

beansSummer! Who wants to cook? Not me!

Much of our summer food is cold – salads, chilled soups and sandwiches. Mostly I prepare the the salads and soups early in the morning and put it in the refrigerator to chill for four our five hours. Not only are they cold, but the flavors have had time to meld.

A go to salad is bean salad. Lots of protein and vegetables all in one easy dish. This recipe is called bean salad because I vary the types of beans depending on what I have or what sounds good. I use garbanzos, white beans, kidney beans, black beans and even field peas like black-eyed peas. The dressing may vary slightly but the basic recipe is the same.

Generic Bean Salad

Dressing

  • This is a simple dressing that can easily be changed to accommodate your preferences
    • In a food processor or blender add:
      • 1/4 of a medium sized onion
      • 1 tomato
      • 3 basil leaves
      • 1/4 cup olive oil
      • 1/4 lemon juice (or vinegar)
      • 1/4 cup water
      • a small piece of jalapeño
      • garlic to taste
      • salt and pepper
    • Blend for 1-2 minutes

Salad

Have 2 cups of beans cooked and ready to use; you can certainly use canned beans as well. Make sure the beans are washed and drained. You can use one type of bean or mix several types of beans including green beans.

  • Use a large bowl to mix in and add
    • 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
  • Chop vegetables and add to bowl
    • 1/2 finely chopped carrots
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (green onions or sweet onions work best)
    • 1/4 cup bell peppers
  • Combine beans, corn and vegetables and mix well. Based on the look and texture you may want to adjust the mixture to add more vegetables
  • Add dressing and toss
  • Chill for 3-5 hours and serve with fresh Tomatoes and/or Cucumbers

Really easy to make and really satisfying to eat!

About Genene Cote

Genene Coté -- Nutrition Advocate, Counselor and Coach who is also a Whole Food Plant Based Eater (vegetarian/vegan), cook and gardener.
This entry was posted in additive-free food, diary-free food, gluten-free food, plant based diet, Protein, salad, Whole Food Plant-Based nutrition. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply