My kitchen mojo has been a little spotty lately so my weekly menus have been stacked with meals I can prepare without needing much time or brain power. Right now I need to be able to sleepwalk through dinner prep.
But even a detailed shopping list isn’t a guarantee that dinner will turn out as planned. About an hour before this salad was due to hit the table, I realized that I’d somehow made it home from the grocery store without buying all of the necessary ingredients – despite the fact that they had been written (somewhat eligibly, it’s true) right there on the list. So, using the base ingredients that I had on hand, I completely switched around the flavors of the original recipe and traveled from Southeast Asia to South of the Border.
Southwest Bean & Rice Salad
Serves 4-6
Salad:
2 14 oz. cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 medium green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, peeled and chopped, optional
Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup red wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp. chipotle in adobo sauce
dash Chipotle Tabasco
salt & pepper to taste
Combine the dressing ingredients in a big bowl and whisk to combine. Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the avocado, and stir gently to combine. Let sit for a while so that the flavors can get acquainted.
To serve, top with chopped avocado.
You just reminded my that I have fresh black eyed peas ready to go – and I have all these ingredients….I am headed to the kitchen now! Yummy .. thanks
Fresh black-eyed peas – wow!
I get them from a local farmer…actually now that I look they are called southern peas…are those the same as black-eyed peas? they look the same – maybe same family?
I’ll bet they’re the same – but then again, I’ve never heard the term southern peas! Great northern, yes
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This sounds amazing! And it’s so pretty!
Looks delicious! Happy to have stopped by here again
Hey, Lisa! Thanks for visiting
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Very beautiful. I think I am going to make this for a brunch tomorrow. Just lovely…
Thanks, Connie!
Don’t worry, I leave the grocery store without ingredients I need that were on my list ALL the time. Super frustrating. Sometimes I even check the receipt to make sure I didn’t pay for items that didn’t make it home. Argh! Looks like you made something beautiful anyway! That oil free dressing looks super tasty too! I love that in our posts today we both have the same tomatoes in our salads
p.s. your “sleepwalk” food is way better than most people’s “wide awake” food!
I do the same thing. I was making curry the other day, and it’s supposed to have chickpeas in it. And then I opened a can of kidney beans and dumped it in the curry on accident. Yup. Still tasted good!
The salad looks great!
Sometimes the improvisations are the best!
My husband would love this. He loved black eyed peas (I’m not a big fan) but I don’t make them often. This looks quick and easy, a perfect summer day dinner!
Exactly – cool and easy!
Does anything beat the classic combo of beans and rice? If it makes you feel better, I think the southwest flavors that you have here are much more appetizing (to me, at least) than the Asian one you had planned.
I love that little dish too! It’s so cute!
I know, right? Rice and beans. It’s my go-to combination when I just can’t come up w/ anything to eat
. So many ways to go with it.
I like the idea of the flavors ‘getting acquainted’. I don’t know why, but we call them black-eyed beans, rather than peas. Either way, I really like them and your salad looks very filling and satisfying. I love those little cherry tomatoes too.
Lorna, it’s funny cuz as I was writing this post I was thinking: why are they called peas? They look like beans to me!
Nice save!
Haha! Thanks, Steve!
Bean dishes which look as delicious as yours are the best – yum
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Even though it wasn’t what you planned, it still looks fabulous!
I’m so with you on that- my inspiration has been very hit or miss lately and if something takes more than 20 minutes to make, I’m definitely going to skip it and throw together a salad lol. I love this recipe because it looks so quick, yet delicious!
Thanks, Gabby – I don’t know if it’s the heat or what, but my attention span is shot!!
That happens to me all too often! Usually it’s the things at the top of the list. It looks like it still came out as a winning dish!
Boy do I know that feeling. Looks great, though!
those yellow tomatoes look so good! what a fresh combo
What ingredients did the origianl recipe call for? Because if this your ‘accident’ recipe, I can only imagine how good the real recipe would have been! Does it hold well in the fridge? I like being able to make a big batch of something so I have an easy lunch to take to work.
It holds really well – an excellent make-ahead dish.
Yum! Pictures look great! Unfortunately I’m with you on the spotty kitchen mojo… I feel ya sister!! XO http://fashionfoodfight.wordpress.com/
Dishes like this are my ideal Summer meal.
Bridget .
Looks beautiful!! Black eyed peas are one of my favorite beans. We make a Sambar (South Indian stew) with it which we serve over hot rice. But your salad sounds extremely appealing for the high temperatures we’re experiencing right now.
Thank you, Susmitha – beans are just amazing aren’t they
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Looks super yummy Ann, I never cook with black eyed peas (I know right?) Weird! I love good clean bean salads like this!
I haven’t too much, either, Shira. Don’t know why – they’re cute and tasty little beaners!
[...] Next, start the southern peas for a southwestern beans and rice salad thanks to inspiration from http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2012/06/02/sleepwalk-southwest-bean-rice-salad/ [...]
MMMM,..what a stunning rice & bean salad! So colourful too!
Nice! Is that bowl from West Elm?
I picked it up at a TJ Maxx, I think. Not sure if it was originally from West Elm – but I love their stuff!
Beans and Rice… one of my favourite combinations.
Beans and Rice in a salad… even better
[...] Next, start the southern peas for a southwestern beans and rice salad thanks to inspiration from http://anunrefinedvegan.com/2012/06/02/sleepwalk-southwest-bean-rice-salad/ [...]