Summertime Bean Salad - Twiins Style
I'm always looking for ways to use the herbs I'm growing in my garden. I have quite a bit of Thai basil which I've made delicious chicken salad and Thai basil Chicken with but I wanted to experiment with other dishes. I made a summertime bean salad and added quite a few Thai basil leaves to see how it tasted...we loved it. You're still getting protein through the beans and this dish delivers big time on flavor. Enjoy by itself in lettuce leaves or as a side dish with no cooking as an added bonus during the hot summer! Naturally Gluten-Free. Enjoy. 😋❤️
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
- 1/2 large red onion
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 2 Tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4- 1/3 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, parsley, Thai basil, garlic & pepper. Slowly whisk in the EVOO & set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the rinsed & drained beans, celery, and red onion.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the mixture and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Garnish with a few Thai basil leaves.
Notes: Leftovers can be added to rice & cooked green beans for a delicious side to basil pesto chicken.
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Sounds good and I have Thai basil too though not as healthy looking as yours. Where did you get the hay bale idea and what happens at the end of the season? I think your blog is wonderful.
Thank you Susan. I can’t take credit for the hay bales. My neighbor & good friend, Jane Hall, got me into it. I noticed one year her regular basil looked fabulous while mine was just Ok. We got the hay bales at Ace Hardware. We put down old carpet padding before placing the hay bales on top which prevents the hay from growing in your garden. You fertilize & water for about 2 weeks then just take your nursery plants, with your hands spread a little opening to fit the plant and the soil it comes in then your done. No extra soil is needed. At the end of the season it slowly breaks down & you have beautiful compost to use around your garden. I bought my Thai basil plant at the nursery. We’re so happy you like our blog. Cook on cooking!