Hi ladies, I am SO excited for summer — not only because it means that I can walk around the city every day and enjoy the sunshine and energy of the people around me — but also because I get to go crazy with salads!

I am such a salad fanatic that it’s a little nuts. I could eat salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I had the chance (and sometimes I do). Just knowing that every bite I eat is packed with some sort of healthy nutrient — if you make your salads right, of course — just makes me so joyous.

Today’s recipe, a black bean summer salad, is extremely quick to make and blends some of my favorite flavors and textures: savory, crisp and tart. Let’s look at the nutritional profile:

  • Protein: Black beans
  • Calcium: Feta cheese
  • Beta Carotene: Carrots
  • Vitamin A and K: Red leaf lettuce
  • Fiber: black beans, lettuce, carrots, broccoli slaw

This black bean summer slaw salad can be made in a huge bowl to eat by itself, or can be the first dish of your meal. I love making it for picnics or for concerts in the park because you can pack it in a to-go container and bring packets of olive oil and vinegar for the dressing. It literally only takes about 10 minutes to make and is so satisfying to eat.

Black Bean Summer Salad

Ingredients

2 cups of broccoli slaw
1 can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch of red leaf lettuce
2 ounces of feta cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Directions

1. Rinse, then drain, the black beans.
2. Dice the feta cheese into small cubes.
3. Mix all ingredients together and toss them in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
4. Serve and enjoy!