Friday, May 27, 2011

Try this vegan, summery salad

I made a salad the other night that immediately became one of my favorite dishes. Not only is it delicious (my friend and I kept repeating how wonderful it was again and again throughout the evening), it is also incredibly healthy, vegan, and so fresh that it is perfect for the warmer weather. It is full of nutrients, protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates - a perfect meal. I advise you, seriously, to try it out for yourself. I have a feeling it might make your list of favorites, too. (Please note that although there are a number of directions, it really is quite a simple meal to make.)

1.  Put some brown rice on the stove.
2.  Add salt (preferably sea salt) to the rice and boiling water.
3.  Since brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, wait about 20 minutes before moving on to the next step.
4.  Boil some water and throw in a good amount of corn (this is half the bulk of the salad). It can be frozen or fresh. (If you are using fresh corn, boil it first and then cut it off the cob after cooking and cooling.) Don't cook the corn for too long - a minute or two is sufficient; You want it to be crisp, not mushy.
5.  Drain the corn, then rinse it with cold water a few times. Next, soak it in cold water (to reduce heat).
6.  Dice one medium-sized red onion and one medium-sized red bell pepper, add to a medium-sized bowl.
7.  Drain the corn again and add to the bowl.
8.  Take a can of butter beans (the other half of the bulk of the salad) and half a can of black soy beans (Eden Organic sells both), rinse, drain, and add to the bowl.
9.  Add some chopped parsley.
10. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil and mix.
11. Dice one avocado and add to the bowl.
12. Add about three tablespoons of sweet red chilli sauce (as I mentioned in a previous post, Thai Kitchen's is my favorite) and mix.
13. Add salt to taste (I like mine somewhat salty, but to each his/her own), and a little bit of pepper.
14. Check that the rice is salted enough (no need to add butter!)
15. Serve a mound of rice on the plate with the summer salad on top. (The warmth and coolness are perfect together.)
16. Enjoy (and let me know what you think!)

2 comments:

  1. Sounds yummy! I bit it would taste equally delish if you substituted the brown rice for spelt or wheat berries!

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  2. Mmmmmm, great idea!! I should try that. I've gotten into my brown rice routine. I need to shake it up. :)

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