Hey everyone.. here is a quick, easy and delicious recipe that I use as a staple in my house. This is a Southwest bean salad recipe that only takes about ten minutes to prepare. I'll talk about the health benefits of beans in future posts, but for now just know that they are amazing little superfoods. Beans are excellent sources of dietary fiber, protein, and tons of micro nutrients, antioxidants and minerals. But the best part? They are cheap (even when buying high-quality organic beans.. which you should!) and freakin' delicious. Some cautions with adding beans into your diet would be any legume allergies, existing digestive distress, or when not advised by a medical professional. Beans are an excellent way to add some nutrient dense foods into your diet. I make this recipe once a week and it makes for some delicious meals and healthy snacking. All for less than ten dollars.
The best part about this recipe is that you can really make it however suites your taste, try different ingredients or experiment with different kinds of beans. You can also use it in lots of ways such as street tacos, burritos, a side with a larger meal or just right out of the bowl for a quick healthy snack. Delicious cold or heated up, especially with a little melty cheese..
I try to always purchase and eat 100% organic when possible and I highly recommend you consider it as well. And a tip for buying canned anything: ensure the cans you are purchasing are BPA Free
(it'll say on the label). You can usually find organic beans at most grocery stores around $1 per can. You can also buy raw/dry beans in bulk and prepare them from scratch, it takes a bit more time but is also the most economical option (I'll save that for another post).
INGREDIENTS:
2 cans beans (black beans, pinto beans, red beans, experiment..)
1 can corn
1 jalapeno
1 bunch green onion
1 bunch cilantro
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 onion (any color)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave (or honey/other sweetener of choice)
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chipotle powder
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
(Optional) 1 lime
(Optional) 1 dash of hot sauce
ITEMS NEEDED:
Medium/large bowl
Strainer
Cutting Board
Knife
Aluminum foil
Spoon or something to mix/taste with
Might need a can opener depending on your cans
RECIPE:
You'll first want to get your strainer over your sink or near it.
Open the cans of beans and corn and dump into strainer and wash with cold running water.
Shake the strainer around to lose any excess water and pour beans and corn into medium to large size bowl and set aside.
Grab your cutting board and knife.
Slice off the ends/stems and finely chop the cilantro, add to the bowl with the beans and corn.
Quarter and then roughly dice one onion, add to the bowl
De-seed (or don't.. but will make it spicy!) and dice the jalapeno, add to the bowl.
Quarter and dice the bell pepper, add to the bowl.
Slice off ends of green onion stalks and chop green onion, add to the bowl.
Add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon agave or sweetener of choice into bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt into bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of pepper into bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of chipotle powder and 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning into bowl.
(Optional) Slice lime and squeeze juice into bowl.
(Optional) Give a healthy chug of hot sauce into the bowl.
Now gently mix everything in the bowl together (try not to mush up the beans too much).
Now try a bite and see what you think! If it doesn't taste quite right at first, try changing the seasonings and spice levels and types of ingredients to get it to what you want it to be. Also, these flavors will marinate over time and the beans will also slowly absorb the flavors, so sometimes it just needs to marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Make sure you cover with foil or some kind of covering and just stick in the fridge for storage up to a week. Can be eaten cold or easily warmed up (try crumbling a little cojita cheese over the top).
This bean salad is delicious as is, I often just grab a spoon and dig in for a few healthy bites, but there are endless options here: Bean and cheese street tacos, tostadas, as a protein side to your veggies, as a summer salad to share with friends and fam, you name it. Get creative. It is a simple, easy, cost-effective and delicious way to fill your body with protein, fiber and nutrients. Super easy to pack for meals on the go. Makes four to six servings depending on portion size.
Let me know your thoughts or how you changed it up to make it even better!
- Erik
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