The weather has finally turned summer-ish, so I whipped up my go-to summer side dish, Bean Salad. It’s vegan friendly and the recipe makes a lot, so i like to bring it to a barbecue or camping with my family. It has a fresh lime vinegar-y taste to it. So if that’s something you’re in to, give it a try.
4 Bean Summer Salad
Ingredients:
- 19 oz can of black beans (or 2 cups of cooked beans)
- 19 oz can of chic peas (or 2 cups of cooked beans)
- 19 oz can of lentils (or 2 cups of cooked beans)
- 19 oz can of corn kernels
- 1 green pepper
- 1/2 a small red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves of pressed garlic
- a handful of chopped cilantro based on preference
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp coriander
Instructions:
- Drain and rinse beans in a strainer.
- Put the beans in a large bowl (make sure its something that will fit a lid or beeswax wrap).
- Chop the green pepper and red onion up into “bean sized” pieces and add to the bowl.
- Add the olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar and garlic, then mix ingredients together thoroughly.
- Add the cilantro, cumin, chili powder, pepper, and coriander, then mix thoroughly again.
- Serve at room temperature, or chill in the fridge.
Some Handy Dry Beans to Canned Beans Conversions
19 oz can = 2 cups cooked beans
- Black Beans: 1 cup dry = 2-1/2 cups cooked
- Chic Peas: 1 cup dry = just under 2-2/3 cups cooked
- Lentils: 1 cup dry = 2 cups cooked
There’s lots of room for tweaking to your taste with different amounts of beans, I often tone down the onion if there’s kids eating. Some people don’t like cilantro so you can skip it. Lime juice and lemon juice can be used interchangeably depending on what you have on hand.
Don’t forget to cover it with a beeswax wrap or bowl cover to keep it fresh, zero-waste style.