When summer is going full swing big platters of salad take center stage for dinner. Add in the late August heat wave and big platters of salad become dinner. This is a quick salad we threw together last week that has become a fast favorite. Keep the black bean mixture separate from the lettuce and you can eat the leftovers with tortilla chips, top with a fried egg, or just keep making this filling salad.
This is really customizable, we loved it with avocados the first time, you could try cooked ground beef tossed with the beans like this salad, add sliced or shredded cooked chicken, and spice it up with a hot pepper. Garnish with chips or crumble them over the top and the cheese is optional. Follow the recipe as written for a completely vegan dish.
The chipotle vinaigrette is easy to make, just pick up a can of chipotle in adobo and purée the whole thing. Keep it in the refrigerator for making spicy aiolis, dressings, adding to beans, it’s a great pantry item to have on hand. Everything else you probably have in your kitchen! If you have fresh oregano feel free to use it, but dried will do the trick for this dressing.
Black Bean Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette
Can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 or whole onion, diced
juice from 1/2 a lime
big pinch of salt
1 head lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped into bite size pieces
Chipotle Vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon apple cider
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon pureed chipotle in adobo
1/2 dijon mustard
pinch of chili powder
pinch of sea salt
Optional: tortilla chips and grated cheddar cheese to garnish
Toss the black beans, peppers, tomatoes, and onions in a large bowl with lime juice and salt. Add as much onion as you like in a salad. I stopped at half. Set aside.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake to combine. Use a fork or whisk if you need to break up the chipotle.
Toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette and serve topped with the bean mixture.
