This super easy salad is packed with nutrients and fiber from five delicious bean varieties. It doubles as a dip or bruschetta topping, you can even mix it with fresh pasta, warm or cold, for a twist on the recipe. Beans are the original superfood of plant-based nutrition. It is a great salad to make ahead because it gets better the longer it marinates. It’s bursting with flavor and color that adds protein, nutrients and color to your meal.
Versatile
It’s easy to make ahead and pack in a to-go box for picnics or camping. The ingredients are clean and fresh. If you want to make it vegan, skip the cheese. If you want to make a smaller batch, pick just one bag of your favorite Bare Bean variety then reduce the amount of other ingredients to fit.
Bare Beans Salad
Prep: 15 minutes
Marinate: at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or overnight
Yield: Approximately 12-20 servings, depending on size
- 1 10-oz Black Bare Beans
- 1 10-oz Red Bare Beans
- 1 10-oz Garbanzo Bare Beans
- 1 10-oz Pinto Bare Beans
- 1 10-oz Navy Bare Beans
- 2 large tomatoes chopped (or carton of grape tomatoes quartered)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- Juice of 6 freshly squeezed limes
- 2 large avocados, cubed
- 1 tub feta crumbles or a half round of cotija crumbled (use as much or as little as you like)
- Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients, tossing gently. This makes a great salad or topping for crostini any time of year. Mix with warm or cold pasta for an easy side dish. This keeps well refrigerated. Make ahead so the flavors mingle, the lime juice will keep the avocados from browning, but you can always add them right before serving if you prefer.
