Karen K's Bean Salad - Easy

 

Do NOT click past this post before taking a look-see at this recipe.  This is NOT your standard normal (=boring) bean salad!  Nowhere is there a green bean in sight (is a green bean really a bean, anyway?).

This salad has flavor.  It makes you swoon.  OK, not quite.  But, to quote Mel Brooks, your tongue will throw a party in your mouth!

I discovered this gem of a salad while at an end-of-year party meeting of a librarian technology group I belong to.  While the BBQ meeting was very yummy productive, the bean salad brought by Karen, one of the attendees, really stood out.  I usually don't care for a bean salad, but since this version didn't have the wannabee-a-real-bean green bean, I politely tried some as a dip.  Then grabbed another chip and went back for more.  Then "just a little more."  Finally I surrendered, picked up a plate and spooned a serving portion on my plate.  After the festivities meeting, I procured the recipe from Karen.

I recommend rinsing canned beans.  It removes some of the ... you know ... little problem that can occur as a result of eating too many beans.  I didn't specifically state rinsing the cilantro, but I figure that you know by now to automatically rinse anything from the produce aisle since you don't know where the picker's hands were.

 Make this side-dish a few hours, up to 2 days before serving to let the flavors "marry."

After you finish eating the salad, you can dip your hamburger into the remaining sauce!  Two for one!  Woo-hoo!  Or don't even wait ... spoon a little of the sauce on your burger before taking a bite.  Trust me.  You're welcome!

  

Karen K's Bean Salad
serves 10-12 as a small BBQ side-dish 
Make this salad a few hours or up to 2 days before serving. 

2 (15 ozs. each) cans black beans
1  (15 oz) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz) can chick peas
1 small red onion (or 1/2 of a large one)
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed
2 tsp. minced garlic (bottled ok)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
at least 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 squirts of mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
a dash or 2 of hot sauce
finely chopped rosemary (optional)

Drain and rinse all the beans and place in a mixing bowl.  Dice onion and finely chop cilantro.   Stir onion, cilantro and garlic into beans.  Set aside.



In a small bowl, Whisk together all the remaining ingredients.  Pour over bean mixture and gently combine.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.