Hello September! The weather here is still in the upper 90's so I have another salad to share with you. Not much cooking going on here. I've been opting for throw together salads that meet my needs and keep me coming back for more. The inspiration for this salad came about by a recent visit to El Pollo Loco, a local fast food chain. I'm the only vegan in the house and can usually find suitable meals for myself when dining out. Fast food is a little more difficult than sit down dining but I can rework a menu item most of the time. In this case, I ordered their Avocado Salad, omitting the cheese and replacing the chicken with extra black beans (it already came with some). Instead of using their dairy based creamy cilantro dressing, I ordered a couple extra sides of pico de gallo and had myself a great meal. I enjoyed it enough that I wanted to recreate it at home using a creamy cumin lime tahini dressing and it's really quite wonderful! I love the tender steamed broccoli and the creaminess the avocado adds along with the cool crisp romaine lettuce. Black beans complete the salad adding a nice dose of protein. I used my beans at room temperature but you can heat them if you prefer. The salad is easy to throw together and is full of great flavor and texture. A great lunch or dinner salad that's nutrient dense and will fill you up perfectly!
Need a salad inspiration, this is it!
BLACK BEAN, BROCCOLI & AVOCADO SALAD + CUMIN LIME TAHINI DRESSING
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 can (15oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/4 cup broccoli florets, steamed
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/3 cup pico de gallo
- cilantro sprigs
- 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, sliced and most seeds removed
Dressing
- 3 heaping tablespoons tahini
- 1/3 cup water
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, except for the cilantro. Use a tad more water as needed to thin. If dressing is too thin, add more tahini. Once blended to your liking, taste for flavor, stir in cilantro and set aside.
Steam your broccoli just until al dente and bright green using a bamboo steamer, double broiler or preferred method.
Add romaine to your serving dishes, top with black beans, broccoli, avocado, pico de gallo, a few sprigs cilantro and slices of chili peppers. Top with dressing and enjoy!
Serves 2.
Notes:
This is a great place to add a sprinkle of seeds. Try using pepito's (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds or hemp hearts.
If you don't have tahini on hand, try using extra pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime. I find it works great! You may even opt to use a dollop of hummus.
Use spinach or any leafy green of choice.
Steam your broccoli just until al dente and bright green using a bamboo steamer, double broiler or preferred method.
Add romaine to your serving dishes, top with black beans, broccoli, avocado, pico de gallo, a few sprigs cilantro and slices of chili peppers. Top with dressing and enjoy!
Serves 2.
Notes:
This is a great place to add a sprinkle of seeds. Try using pepito's (pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds or hemp hearts.
If you don't have tahini on hand, try using extra pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime. I find it works great! You may even opt to use a dollop of hummus.
Use spinach or any leafy green of choice.
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