Kia’s Chilled Veggie & Bean Salad

Kidney beansThis wonderful summer salad hits the spot for cookouts, as a topping for a fresh green salad, or as a high-protein snack on the go. It’s also versatile, so get creative about what types of veggies you use, depending what’s in your fridge or your weekly CSA box!

You can also mix up the types of beans you use in this dish. Any combination of black, kidney, garbanzo, Nash’s dried favas, or even lentils will work well.

This recipe was whipped up for one of Nash’s’ July Farm Lunches, as a topping for tacos. It makes about 3-4 quarts. Downsize the ingredient list accordingly, to make a smaller batch, as desired.

1 medium zucchini
1 medium-large cucumber
1 small-medium Wall Walla onion or red onion
1 green or red pepper
6-8 cups cooked beans (any kind!)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cups fresh cilantro, finely minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or tamari soy sauce
(A cup or two of fresh cut corn and some diced tomatoes are also wonderful in this salad. I didn’t have any on hand at the time, but they would be a great addition!)

Shred or small diced the zucchini, cucumber, onion and pepper. Add the cooked beans to the fresh veggies and toss well.

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, fresh cilantro, chili powder and liquid aminos or tamari with the veggies and beans, and mix everything up really well.

Eat immediately, or let dish rest for an hour or two, or even a full day if possible, for the marinade to work its magic!