Mexican Black Bean Salad Recipe

Beans – they’re healthy, cheap, easy to make, and when made well, taste great – so why do we eat beans so rarely?

I’ve got no answers here, but I do know that the health benefits of high fiber beans are many and that they taste great on my table.

Here’s a very easy black bean salad that brings a little taste of sunshine to a winter’s day. I wouldn’t call this an authentic Mexican dish, but it does have a Mexican soul.

First though…canned or boil your own?

There’s no shame at all in opening up a can of beans when you’re pressed for time – just make sure to rinse off all that goopy stuff clinging to the beans well before using. Boiling your own beans though, is the better, and cheaper way to go.

I always boil beans in a batch far larger than I’ll need for just one recipe, as they keep well in the fridge for a couple of days and well in the freezer for a whole lot longer than that. (With some precooked beans at the ready in the freezer you are ready to for Mexican cooking, amongst other styles, at the drop of a hat).

If you don’t know how to cook beans, read how to boil dried beans to find out.

Easy Black Bean Salad

Please take the quantity measurements listed below with a grain of salt (pun intended..haha). You wouldn’t measure out your carrots and cucumbers and all that when making plain old mixed salad and there’s really no need to do so when making a bean salad either!)

• About a half cup of red wine vinegar dressing (3 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 part red wine vinegar and a little salt)
• 2 cups of cooked black beans
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups of tomato)
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic minced
• A few sprigs of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2 or 3 Thai chilies (omit if you don’t like spicy food)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup feta cheese (or substitute a Mexican queso fresco)
• Corn tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Mix the vinaigrette, the beans, the tomatoes, the onion, the avocado, the garlic, the cilantro and the chilies together. Taste and add salt as needed (make sure to add enough salt – this dish won’t shine unless salted appropriately)
2. Transfer to a serving bowl and crumble feta cheese on top. Serve with corn tortilla chips for scooping/eating.