We are all so busy these days, sometimes cooking dinner just seems too overwhelming to think about. You don’t have to cook to have an easy, but nutritious meal. Here is the basic recipe for my Bean salad. Everything is to taste and I never measure so there is no exact measurements for the ingredients.
Beans are so healthy and inexpensive. I always have a variety in my pantry along with canned chick peas. You can literally throw anything you like into this salad and it will come out delicious! It’s a good way to use up those leftovers in your fridge!
Recipe
– 1 can chick peas
– 1-3 cans of any kind of bean that you like. I love black beans, roman beans and pinto beans. I always have them in my pantry.
– Drain and rinse and put them into a large bowl.
– Dice some bell peppers and throw them into the bowl. I love the colorful ones.
– I love finely chopped jalapeño too!
– Dice some crunchy vegetables such as celery, carrots, jicama, edamame, or whatever you have on hand. Use cherry tomatoes and cucumbers if you plan on eating this within a couple of days
– Red onion is a must for me because it is milder and prettier than a yellow onion. Scallions are good too.
– A clove or two of fresh minced garlic depending on how much you make. Raw garlic can be overpowering so not too much. Salt and pepper to taste.
For the dressing:
– Sprinkle in some vinegar (any kind) or lemon, lime juice.
– Add some olive oil or you can use any kind of vinaigrette salad dressing.
– Taste it and adjust the seasonings….and that is it!!! Easy, right?
Here are some variations that you can try:
– Add diced leftover ham, cooked chicken, cooked shrimp, kielbasa, cooked sausage, boiled eggs, cubed cheese, canned tuna or salmon.
Make different themes like:
– Mexican…hot sauce, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and a squirt of lime.
– Asian…use sesame oil instead of olive oil, soy sauce instead of salt, or use an Asian salad dressing.
– Mediterranean…fresh or sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, fresh basil or mint, lemon juice.
The list goes on with your imagination. Have fun with it!! You really can’t mess this up and no cooking required!
