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.
LOOKING FOR ANOTHER GREAT SALAD? 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.
