THREE BEAN CITRUS SALAD

Three Bean Citrus Salad is simple, healthy and very refreshing and is perfect for a light lunch or dinner.  I have used Romaine lettuce beans, sliced tangerines and oranges, precooked sausage and herbs in my Three Bean Citrus Salad.  This salad is too flavorful to be covered with a heavy dressing so I have used a simple splash of balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil with some freshly cracked black peppercorns.  I recently found an olive oil store in my area that sells some pretty amazing selection of gourmet flavor-infused olive oil and vinegar.  I have used their blood orange olive oil and my favorite balsamic vinegar that I always use.  In my quest for making a citrus flavored olive oil for those who might not find it in their supermarkets, I was able to make a citrus infused olive oil at home.  I peeled the zest of an orange and tangerine (without the white part) with a vegetable peeler.  Then I crushed them with my fingers and added them to a jar.  I poured olive oil over the zest and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 days.  The flavor is milder than the store bought but still very good.  Give it a try and see how you like it.

I have used precooked spicy smoked chicken sausage links with mango in my Three Bean Citrus Salad.  It has a spicy kick with a little bit of sweetness to it that goes very nicely with the citrus in this salad.  Other varieties of precooked sausage may be substituted.  I have sliced the sausage links and browned them over medium heat without adding any oil. The browned sausage adds a very nice touch to this salad.

After the sausage slices browned on both sides I added some sliced onions and diced red and green bell peppers and briefly sauteed them together.    I added the sausage and pepper mixture on top of the prepared salad right off the skillet and served it warm with naan bread.

I have used three different kinds of beans: Red beans , garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and peeled edamame beans. The frozen edamame beans can be defrosted by running them under warm water.  I have posted my simple instructions for home cooked beans here. If you have not started cooking your beans at home, I recommend you give it a try. They taste so much better and they are healthier than canned beans.  If canned beans are used they should be rinsed under cold water and drained before adding to this salad.  The naan bread was store bought and I spread a very thin layer of coconut oil on it and sprinkled it with some dried parsley flakes and toasted it.  I hope you enjoy this Three Bean Citrus Salad and let me know what you think about it in your comments.  There are no boundaries or special recipes for making salads, all you need to do is add your favorite ingredients and enjoy the result.

5.0 from 1 reviews

THREE BEAN CITRUS SALAD

 

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Serves 3-4

Author: Homa

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1 large head of Romaine lettuce (about 5 cups shredded)
• 1 cup cooked red beans, rinse under cold water if using canned beans
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, rinse under cold water if using canned beans
• 1 cup frozen peeled edamame (defrost by running it under warm water or leave at room temp)
• 2 tangerines, peeled and sliced
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced
• 3-4 precooked spicy smoked chicken and mango sausage (may substitute any precooked sausage)
• ½ green bell pepper, sliced thin or diced
• ½ red or yellow bell pepper, sliced thin or diced
• ½ red onion, sliced thin
• 2-3 TBSP chopped fresh mixed aromatic herbs (I used basil, cilantro and dill)
• Dressing:
• Balsamic vinegar
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Blood orange infused olive oil (or a squeeze of orange slice and extra virgin olive oil)
• Toasted Nann bread, or any bread of your choice
• One medium avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the lettuce, vegetables and herbs and set them in a colander to get rid of excess water before slicing and chopping. Add to a large bowl. Add the beans to the bowl and toss.
2. Slice the sausage links about ¼ inch thick and brown on both sides, without adding any oil, in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced bell peppers and onions. Toss and continue sautéing for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
3. Add the hot sausage mixture over the salad. Add the sliced tangerines and orange. Sprinkle the top with chopped herbs. Crack some black pepper corn over the salad. I don’t use salt for this salad, the salt in sausage is sufficient, but if you prefer you may add salt to taste.
4. Drizzle some blood orange olive oil or regular olive oil and a squeeze of a fresh orange slice. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar to taste. Toss the salad and serve.
5. On occasion when I have a nice ripe avocado I dice it large and add it to this salad. You may do so if you love avocados like me, or just leave it out.
6. Tip: I used store bought plain nann bread, spread a very thin layer of coconut oil on top and sprinkled it with dried herbs then toasted it.

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