Black Bean Salad

Time required:

From start to serve, this complete meal can be prepared and plated in less than 30 minutes . . . and that accounts for  multiple interruptions by whiney children. (Note: this recipe is very simple and the aforementioned whiney children can easily be put to work as helpers.)

I purchased all the ingredients from my local grocery store and you should be able to find everything you need at any major grocery retailer in your area. Nothing fancy-schmancy here.

What you need:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 can black beans (no salt added is preferable), rinsed and drained
• 3-4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (run under warm water to defrost)
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (this will be your side dish)
• 1 apple per person, sliced (your other side dish)

How to make this complete meal:

Rinse the uncooked quinoa, put it into a small pot, add 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn the heat to low and cook (covered) for 15 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and the chopped/pressed garlic and mix with a fork until smooth. Put aside.

Chop the grape tomatoes, cucumber, and red pepper. Shred the lettuce. Mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, corn, beans, and lettuce together in a large bowl. Add the avocado mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Place on a plate (or in salad bowls) and top with pumpkin seeds.

Add the cooked quinoa and the chopped apple to the plate. To be properly proportioned for a balanced meal, your plate should be 1/2 covered with Black Bean Salad, 1/4 covered with sliced apple, and 1/4 covered with quinoa.

The end result:

The family says . . .
Approved (and suggested as a great choice for a summer salad)! Being that this recipe is super-simple to make, I’m going to add it to our weekly dinner menu (my goal is to eventually have a rotation of easy-to-make, healthy recipes that can be made in a matter of minutes, adhere to the 4 Pillars of Healthy Eating, and are suitable for an endometriosis diet).

Disclosure: This is an unsponsored post and part of My Real Review’s initiative to bring our readers easy, healthy, family-friendly recipes.

Tagged as: dairy-free, easy recipes, egg-free, endometriosis diet, gluten-free, healthy eating, nutrition, vegan, whole foods