Like many of my early recipes, this rice and black bean salad came about because of excess. In this case, I had lots of leftover black beans and white rice from a catering job. Not wanting to eat the same thing for days or have it end up in the trash is how rice & black bean salad was born.
To make this crisp brightly- flavored salad; chopped fresh produce and herbs are tossed with cooked black beans and rice. Everything is dressed with a blend of olive oil and salt. Experience has taught me that tossing the produce with hot cooked rice instead of cold rice softens the bite of the raw onion but keeps the same bright robust flavor.
if you are cooking the rice fresh for this recipe add 1 or 2 teaspoons of the oil to the cooking water. After cooking toss the hot rice with the remaining ingredients.
More than a decade later, this rice and black bean salad is still one of my most popular rice dishes. Maybe it’s the bright colors, bright colors are appetite stimulants after all. but this dish is quite popular, even with small children.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 C white rice cooked
- 15 oz can Black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ med onion diced small
- 1 small carrot diced small
- ¼ C cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ small bell pepper diced small
- ¼ C olive oil extra virgin
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients together in a glass bowl and serve. *if you are cooking the rice fresh for this recipe add 1 or 2 teaspoons of the oil to the cooking water. After cooking toss the hot rice with the remaining ingredients. Let it cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes before refrigerating.
Video
Notes
- Best served cold
- This dish can be served immediately but it’s best served after marinating for a few hours.Â
- Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week
