Here’s one more summertime salad you can make for Memorial Day weekend. This refreshing Cucumber and Black Bean Salad make a great side dish for summer grilling. It also works as a topping for a bowl meal or a salsa to dip chips in. The cucumber’s freshness balances the black beans’ earthiness, while the homemade vinaigrette makes everything light and fresh.
KEEP IT SIMPLE, OR BREAK IT UP
As you know, I like to keep it simple. However, this salad can be adapted to accommodate any additional ingredients that may be available. These are other great ingredients for this Cucumber and Black Bean salad:
- Corn kernels
- Avocado
- Red bell pepper sliced (fresh or roasted).
- Diced green bell pepper
- Jalapeno
- Diced tomato
- Cotija cheese
- Pineapple
“I HATE CILANTRO!”
I hear you. Even though you have been dealt the cilantro-hating gene, this Cucumber and Black Bean salad still look delicious! This salad is one of few places where I believe parsley would work equally well. Parsley is great with cucumber, so that it would work just as well here as the cilantro. All of us win!
HOW TO SERVE CUCUMBER & BLACK BEAN SALAD
This “refrigerator” salad is another one you can make and use to top any meal throughout the week. It holds up well, and the flavor gets better while it marinates in a fridge.
It is a great side dish and would be delicious with grilled meat. It can also be used as a base for bowl dishes (add an egg, a spoonful of salsa verde) or spooned on tacos to make a chunky salsa or relish.
CUCUMBER and BLACK BEAN SALAD
This refreshing cucumber and black bean salad make a great summer side dish. You can store it in the refrigerator to eat it once and have it for snacks throughout the week.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Marinate for 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serving size: 1 cup per person
INGREDIENTS
- 1 15oz. 1 15oz.
- 1 cucumber (1.29)
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (approximately 1/4 onion) ($0.11)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, loosely packaged ($0.20).
- 2 Tbsp crumbled Feta (optional)* ($0.55)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
INSTRUCTIONS
- To soften the flavor of the red onions, soak them in ice water for 5 minutes. Drain the black beans. Let them drain well while you chop the other vegetables.
- Cut the cucumber into approximately the same size and shape as the black beans. Finely chop the red onion and the cilantro.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil vinegar, cumin, and garlic powder. Add some salt (about 15 cranks from a pepper mill).
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, red onion and cilantro with the feta. Add the dressing to the bowl and mix well. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4-5 hours.
NOTES
This salad can be made vegan by omitting the feta. The feta is a nice addition, but the salad is delicious without it.
NUTRITION
Serving Size: 1 Cup Calories: 189.4 Kcal Carbohydrates: 20.85 G Protein: 8.05 G Fat: 8.38g Sodium: 609.63 mg Fiber: 5.53g
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