Black Bean and Edamame Salad

Do you go through stages with food? I tend to eat the same meals over and over again for months on end, then suddenly the food I am eating changes to something different and I eat that over and over for months and the cycle repeats. Last Spring when I embarked on my new food journey I found Clean Eating Magazine and quickly fell in love with the whole food recipes.

As I was browsing through the recipes I was drawn to a photo of a black bean and edamame salad in the gluten-free recipe section. I can eat edamame right out of the shells by the handful so imagine my delight upon finding this recipe. I scanned the ingredients for the salad, I loved both the salad ingredients and the simple dressing.

Black Bean & Edamame Salad
Serves 4 | 12 minutes

Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine (March 2012)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 ounces ) unsalted black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup diced red onion

Dressing:

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Nutiva Hemp Oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Method:

In a medium bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, edamame, pepper, cilantro and onion. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until combined. Drizzle over top of bean mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

**The original recipe calls for fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and a small Anaheim pepper. If you like some heat to your food, feel free to substitute the red bell pepper for the Anaheim pepper. Also, if you eat dairy, the mozzarella would be a delightful addition!**

Nutritional Bonus: Edamame are a great source of protein and fiber; just 1 cup of soybeans packs almost 16 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber!