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Dense Bean Salad

Dense Bean Salad

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This southwest dense bean salad is packed with fiber-rich beans, crunchy bell peppers, and a zesty cumin-lime dressing that pulls it all together. It is an easy, make-ahead staple that holds up wo...
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients 1x2x3x
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, canned, or thawed from frozen
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Dressing
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method
 

  1. Drain and rinse the black beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and kidney beans. Add them to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the corn to the bowl. If using frozen corn, thaw it first. If using canned corn, drain it well before adding. Fresh corn can be added as-is.
  3. Dice the red and yellow (or orange) bell peppers. Finely dice the red onion. For a milder flavor, seed the jalapeño before dicing. Add the chopped vegetables to the bowl.
  4. Chop the fresh cilantro and stir it into the bean and vegetable mixture.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
  6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Stir again before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 15gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 197mgFiber: 14gSugar: 5g

Notes

Chilling the assembled salad for at least 30 minutes before serving is essential because the citric acid in the lime juice tenderizes the skins of the drained beans while lightly macerating the raw red onion and jalapeño, mellowing their harsh bite and allowing the earthy cumin and chili powder to thoroughly infuse every bite.

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