I love a garden salad. To be fair, I’m not sure why it’s called that but I think it would be fair to assume that it has something to do with using all the vegetables possible. So that’s exactly what I did. I was cleaning out the fridge and decided to put all of the vegetables I had to use and voila – this bean garden salad came to be.
Salads can be quite nourishing and delicious, but they do lack protein. And I wanted this recipe to have protein as well as the usual goodness. Instead of going for chicken, I went with plant-based protein instead just so it can stay true to the name.
What All Does This Bean Garden Salad Contain?
- Lettuce: Every salad needs a nice crunchy base of fresh lettuce. I used iceberg lettuce for all that extra juicy crunch.
- Red Kidney Beans: This was a personal preference and you’re free to swap these for any other beans of your choice. Chickpeas, black eyed peas, or corn work wonderfully, too.
- Cucumber: I used Persian cucumbers but really any cucumbers will do.
- Red Onions: I personally love the flavor pairing of red onions with red kidney beans. It also adds a nice spicy kick to the salad instead of the sweetness that white onions have.
- Green Peppers: You can use bell peppers or regular green peppers.
- Red Peppers: Once again, go for red peppers or the red bell peppers. I used red peppers because of the added sweetness with they bring.
- Tomatoes: Pick the firmest and reddest tomatoes to toss in.
- Parsley: I’ve grown to love parsley so much, it goes into just about everything I make. If you are more of a coriander person, by all means swap it out.
The best part about any salad is the dressing. You cannot convince me otherwise. Without a delicious dressing, this salad would taste more like a garden and less like a salad. And I have the perfect dressing for this bean garden salad – a lemon vinaigrette.
ALSO TRY THIS TANGY POTATO SCALLION SALAD!
What Do You Need For The Lemon Vinaigrette?
This dressing is made with the simplest ingredients but when combined, they create a magical fusion of flavors.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: You absolutely must use fresh lemon juice. The store bought versions will simply not do.
- Olive Oil: The healthy fats and the rich flavors you’re looking are right here.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This right here is the secret ingredient. It adds such an elevated taste to the vinaigrette.
- Mustard: I truly think mustard belongs in salad dressings more than it does anywhere else.
- Fresh Minced Garlic: Just a tiny bit of garlic goes a long way.
- Salt and Pepper: Adjust this to your taste and liking.
- Cumin: The main reason I added cumin was because I love how it pairs with red kidney beans.
To be honest, I measured out the ingredients for this lemon vinaigrette with the heart. And I would highly suggest that you do too. However, for those who cannot fully trust their heart, there is a breakdown of measurements in the recipe below.
Bean Garden Salad
3
servings20
minutesKeep your device screen on
Ingredients
- For the salad
1 small head of iceberg lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
2 small cucumbers
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 cup boiled red kidney beans
1 large carrot
1 medium red onion
a small bunch of parsley
- For the dressing
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
3 -4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
Directions
- Chop up all of your vegetables and place them in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine all of your dressing ingredients and whisk together well until fully emulsified. I used a jar and shook it well until I had a creamy and rich dressing.
- Add your dressing to your bean garden salad 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the vegetables to soak up the flavors.
Did you make this recipe?
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