Black Bean Salad

This simple black bean salad is great for entertaining and potlucks. It turns heads because of the beautiful colors and the heady fragrance. Black bean salad is a great travel food and addition to the lunch box. Just keep in mind that the flavors are best at room temperature. If you just did not get around to cooking those black beans, two cans will work with this recipe.

For best results, soak your beans the night before you cook them following our instructions for soaking beans. For maximum flavor, cook them in bone broth as well.

Black Bean Salad Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked black beans

• 1 peeled and diced cucumber
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Black Bean Salad Steps

1. Drain and rinse the black beans.

2. Mix the beans, cucumber and tomato in a large bowl.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the red bell chunks until they just begin to brown.
4. Add the garlic to the saute skillet. Stir continuously for about two minutes while the garlic roasts. The only way to add this much garlic to a salad is to cook it in some fashion. Otherwise the pungent fresh garlic would overpower the salad with fragrance and heat. Yes, raw garlic is hot!
5. Pour the peppers and garlic over the bean mix and toss thoroughly.
6. In a small container mix the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, juice and rind of the lemon, basil, salt and pepper.
7. Pour this dressing over the bean mix and toss thoroughly to coat every bean and bit of vegetable. Let the salad sit for an hour for the flavors to blend.
8. Adjust for salt and pepper.
9. Serve at room temperature.

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1. White Bean Soup with Zucchini and Olives
2. Grilled Vegetable Salad
3. Cabbage Salad
4. Warm Sardine Salad
5. Pomegranate Orange Salad