This is one of my favourite things to make in the summer! Spending time in the kitchen gets to be a bit less appealing as the weather warms (even for me), so I tend to lean towards recipes that make large batches and keep well. This is the perfect salad for lake trips, barbecues, or just to have on hand for a quick lunch. It’s delicious when it’s fresh, but it honestly gets better with time, and it’s super hardy and healthy!
To be honest, I’ve never measured anything for this bean salad until I prepared it for this blog post, and I’ve probably never made it the exact same way twice. That’s the beauty of this recipe! You don’t need to follow it. Making anything to taste is good practice, but this salad really can be whatever you want. Sometimes I add corn and/or avocados (only when serving as they don’t keep well), or I’ll swap the red onions for green if that’s what I have on-hand. I also often omit the feta, and if I’m feeling bold I’ll throw in some finely diced jalapeños. This recipe can be a starting point for you and your creativity.
The most important tip I can give here is to use really good quality tomatoes. The tomatoes you choose should be ripe but firm, ideally with a low water content so they don’t make the salad too runny. That being said, you can always strain them before combining all the ingredients. Furthermore, this salad is much better when you use tomatoes that are freshly picked and haven’t spent hours upon hours on a truck. So, keeping this one seasonal is a really good choice. The Farmer’s Market or, better yet, your own garden, is always your best bet for tomatoes!
Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Can Chickpeas, strained
- 1 Can Black Beans, strained
- 2 Red Peppers, diced medium
- 2 Large or 4 Small Tomatoes, ripe but firm, diced medium
- 1 Medium Red Onion, diced small
- 1 Cup Loosely Packed Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese, optional
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 Limes, for juicing
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Note: If you have the time, I recommend soaking and cooking about 1 cup of both dried chickpeas and black beans, instead of using cans. This will save you some money, and provide even more flavour!
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, chickpeas, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, garlic (if using), and feta (if using). Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
- Note: Other ingredients you can add at this point might include corn or finely diced jalapeño.
- Drizzle some or all of the olive oil over the contents of the bowl and mix well. Don’t hesitate to adjust measurements to your liking. Then, squeeze the juice of each lime into the bowl, one at a time, mixing and tasting before the next. I like to look for a balance between the two ingredients, where I can still make out the oil and the citrus has not yet become overwhelmingly “sharp”. That being said, you can lean in either direction, depending on your preference.
- Season with salt and pepper! Serve fresh or store in the fridge.
- Note: If using avocado, consider adding medium-diced pieces directly into smaller serving dishes for you and your guests. Avocados don’t keep as well as the rest of the ingredients, so if you end up storing the salad in your fridge, it will keep much better without.
- Enjoy!
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