Southwestern Bean Salad

by Libby Pelham | More from this Blogger

22 May 2006 11:42 AM

If you are looking for a summer salad recipe, this one is great. It combines mango, chicken, tortillas, black beans, red bell peppers with a honey-cumin vinaigrette dressing - yummy! It would work great for a light lunch or dinner.

For this recipe, you will need flour tortillas, vegetable cooking spray, one pound of roasted or grilled chopped chicken, one 15 ounce can of pinto or red beans, one 15 ounce can of black beans, a fresh mango, one zucchini, one red bell pepper, green onions, salad greens, orange juice, olive oil, honey, fresh lime juice, ground cumin, and hot sauce. I like to buy the Tyson cooked grilled chicken to save time, but you can cook and chop chicken breasts. I also get the prepackaged salad greens.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take four flour tortillas and cut each one into six wedges. Spray the top of each tortilla wedge with cooking spray and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Cook in the oven until they are golden brown - about 5 to 8 minutes. While that is cooking, slice your zucchini, chop the red bell pepper, and slice the green onions.

In a large bowl, combine one pound of roasted or grilled chopped chicken, one 15 ounce can of pinto or red beans (rinsed and drained), one 15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained), 1 cup of cubed mango, zucchini slices, 1/2 cup of red bell pepper, and 1/2 cup of sliced green onions.

To make the honey-cumin vinaigrette, combine 1/2 cup of orange juice, one tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce. Pour the vinaigrette over the chicken/bean mixture. Arrange the salad greens on a plate and top with the chicken/bean mixture. Add the cooked tortilla wedges to garnish.

Learn more about Libby Pelham

Libby Pelham is a work-at-home mom located in Jacksonville, NC. She has a beautiful little boy, Will, born in July of 2004.

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