SERVES 6
Quick to assemble, this salad lends itself to “mix and match” ingredients—if you don’t have one type of bean, substitute another. The goal is a blend of flavors and textures. For added crunch, substitute 1½ cups of cut fresh green beans for one of the cans of beans. Black beans are high in protein, folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium, all excellent for eye health. Kidney beans share these benefits and are also rich in vitamin C and niacin. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzos, provide zinc and folate. Some stores carry canned beans that are salt-free.
One 15-ounce can black beans, butter beans, or cannellini beans
One 15-ounce can red beans, such as kidney or adzuki
One 15-ounce can chickpeas
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly chopped cilantro, or to taste
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
½ red onion, very thinly sliced
Rinse and drain the beans in a colander. Set them aside. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Add the cilantro, rinsed beans, red bell pepper, and onion and toss gently to combine. (If you have time, cover and refrigerate the salad for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.) Bring to room temperature before serving. Season to taste.
| Nutritional Profile | |
| Serving size: 1 cup | |
|---|---|
| Calories: | 350 |
| Protein: | 10 g |
| Fiber: | 10 g |
| Fat: | 20 g |
| Saturated fat: | 3 g |
| Sodium: | 490 mg |
| Vitamin A: | 622 IU |
| Vitamin C: | 28 mg |
| Vitamin E: | 4 IU |
| Beta-carotene: | 323 µg |
| Lutein and zeaxanthin: | 11 µg |