Thursday’s Side Dish: Bean Salad Bonanza

Kicking lettuce to the curb
No, we’re not saying get rid of lettuce all together. But, bean salads are a welcome break from the monotony of traditional leafy green mixes. Taste the difference with a blend of garbanzo, black-eyed peas, and butter beans. These can be canned or frozen. Add chopped bell pepper, onions, and green peas to sweeten and spice things up. For our particular mix, we used canned garbanzos and frozen black-eyed peas, butter beans, and green peas. A simple dressing can be made with ½ cup salad oil, ¼ cup water, ½ cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon paprika, a little Splenda, and a pinch of salt. Let the bean salad sit for at least one hour in the fridge to thoroughly marinate before serving. Kidney and black beans are also popular salad beans. Other alternative (non-bean) additions: corn, tofu, chopped apple, or chopped white radish.