Bean salads are one of the easiest dinners to make on a hot summer day.
Open a can of beans, drain, rinse, put into a bowl, add some other stuff and toss.
Serve this one with some heart healthy avocado on the side and a handful of unsalted corn chips and dinner is ready.
Dressing
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
Zest of one lime
Salad:
One – 19 fl oz (540 mL) can black beans – drained and rinsed
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen corn – see sidebar
1 large red pepper, diced
1 entire bunch green onions, chopped finely, that’s about 5-6 stalks
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh oregano, diced
¼ cup (60 mL) diced cilantro, optional
½ avocado, optional
1. Mince garlic and set aside.
2. Wash and dry lime. Zest and set aside. Roll the lime on the counter pressing down hard. Why? You’ll get a lot more juice out of it. Juice the lime. You will probably need at least 2 limes to get ¼ cup (60 mL).
3. In a large bowl whisk together the salad dressing ingredients: lime juice, oil, garlic, and the zest.
4. Add the black beans, corn, red pepper, green onions, and oregano and toss well.
5. Sprinkle on the cilantro and toss. Either serve this right away, or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to mellow out the flavours. It will keep for up to three days in the fridge.
Makes 6 cups
One serving = 1 ½ cups (375 mL)
One serving contains:
237 Calories, 5.0 g Total Fat, 0.6 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 92 mg Sodium, 43.1 g Carbs,
9 g Fiber, 6.1 g Sugar, 10 g Protein
Diabetes Food Choice Values Per Serving
2 ½ carbohydrates, ½ meat and alternative, ½ fat
Fresh or frozen corn?
I love to take this easy recipe on a picnic. I add the corn, frozen, because it helps keep the salad cold in the cooler. You still need a cold source in the cooler, but this way the salad is extra cold. If you are going to serve this in thirty minutes then thaw the frozen corn by placing it in a colander and running it under cold running water. Drain well.
I’m a big fan of garlic so if you are on the Garlic Lover’s Team too, add 2 more cloves.