5 Bean Salad
I generally don't feel like eating big meals in summer, so this is a great salad since it's marinated, cool, and filling. It's very easy to modify based on how much work you want to do (dried vs canned beans) and what kinds of beans you like. I used dried canary beans, volcano beans, great northern beans, anasazi beans, and adzuki beans (all bought from Whole Foods). You could just as easily used kidney beans, black beans, pink beans, etc. Just remember that if you use canned beans, you should use ~1.5 cups of each since the measurements I have below (1/2 cup each) are for dried beans.
Ingredients
5 types of uncooked beans, 1/2 cup each (or 1.5 cups each of cooked beans)- I used Kidney beans, Pinto beans, Great Northern beans, Chickpeas, Black beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 cup corn, grilled or boiled
8 oz cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup bell peppers, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup basil, chopped fine
4-6 oz of arugula (depending on your serving plate size)
Directions
1. If using dried beans, soak and cook beans per the instructions (varies based on the types of beans you get). Drain and keep on the side. If using canned beans, drain and rinse well.
2. Blend the olive oil, lime juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, toss the beans with the dressing. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours.
4. Just before serving, mix in the corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil.
5. Serve over a bed of arugula.
