Easy Black Bean Salad

I’m usually too tired to want to cook at night; during the Summer I have the lovely excuse of not wanting to turn on a stove or a grill because it’s already too hot. That’s why I love bean salad recipes: You never have to cook them and they’re easy to throw together.

It’s really easy to make a big pot of rice and a bunch of bean salad and keep it for yourself to eat throughout the week. Most of the ingredients I used were canned, which is also a plus since I almost always keep them on hand. I’m not a big cilantro fan so I leave strong herbs like that out usually, but you could just as easily add them in. This would be best with a big plop of firecracker guacamole on top.

I left the onions out because I’m not a fan of the strong flavor. One way to get rid of the intense bitterness is to soak it in cold water for 5 minutes before dicing it.

Easy Black Bean Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 1/4 cups black beans
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/3 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup sliced olives
• 1/2 red onion, diced(optional)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro(optional)

Method:

1. Take all of the ingredients and toss together until the salad is evenly mixed.
2. Serve with rice, tortillas, or over a bed of greens.

So simple and delicious. It feels like eating at chipotle only without the drive. What could be better than that?