Quick Carribean Black Bean Salad with 6 REAL Ingredients!

This past Saturday my family and I were rushing to get all of our Saturday morning "to-do's" done prior to running off to an annual barbecue at my brother's.  Half an hour from being out the door I forgot the most important thing of all, to plan and prepare a dish to bring to the party!  With just 30 minutes and the ingredients in my pantry and fridge, I had to be creative - quick!


I needed something fast, easy, tasty, appropriately-themed, and most important, healthy.  Then I saw it, the can of Natural Directions Organic Black Beans waving to me from inside the cupboard.  That would be my base, the dish would revolve around that, the healthy and protein-packed black bean. Here are some other cool benefits you may not have realized:


BEANS PROTECT AGAINST CANCER:  Beans are turned into butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid. Butyrate halts cancer cells from growing and causes them to die.  Colon cancer is greatly reduced by eating a diet regularly including beans.

REGULATES BLOOD SUGAR:  Packed with both protein and fiber, it digests slowly and evenly in the body.  This reduces extremes in blood sugar spikes and dips.

KEEPS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM HEALTHY:  Beans are full of folate, otherwise known as vitamin B6, which the nervous system relies on to function.

HEART HEALTH:  Black beans are rich in soluble fiber, which is the type of fiber helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

GOOD FOR DIGESTION:  Because there is so much protein and fiber in black beans, it helps move food through the stomach and large intestine at a steady and healthy rate.


Next up, finding a handful of goodies that would make the beans sing.  I decided on peppers I had in the fridge, a red onion, and some cheddar cheese.  I followed that up with a lime dressing and voila! The Carribean Black Bean Salad was born.  Best yet, once the veggies were prepped, we got the kids involved to toss in the bowl and mix all ingredients together.  The most fun, for them, was the dressing!

         

Tossed in dressing and garnished with fresh lime slices.

The girls were proud to bring this to their uncle's.

Party-sized!

 RECIPE:
- 2 15 oz cans Natural Directions Organic Black Beans, drained, rinsed and dried

- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 2 cups diced peppers (a medley of colors to add pop to the dish; I used green, yellow, and orange)
- 1/2 cup cubed hard cheese of choice, I used sharp cheddar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 lime for garnish
- cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large party bowl except for the limes, olive oil, and seasonings.  In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lime juice, dash of cinnamon , salt and pepper (adjust cinnamon level to desired taste).  Poor dressing over salad then fold until all of the dressing is absorbed.  Add lime slices to top for garnish.

Be well,

Janelle

If you like this recipe and are interested in others, check out my Seasonal Nourishing Menu Plans.

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