You may recall a popular salad that’s been around for years which contains ranch-style beans, grated, cheese, Fritos, and French dressing, along with the lettuce and tomatoes. It’s tasty, but I craved a cleaned-up version.
Cool, crisp, and packed with flavor, the prepared pintos, creamy avocado, and crunchy radishes are just a few of the crave-worthy ingredients in this Pinto Salad.
Salsa would make a flavorful topping for the salad, but for a super light dressing, lime juice and spices quench the desire for a tangy condiment. This salad could also be used as a base for a taco salad. Simply tuck tortilla chips around the edges of each serving of salad, and top with a seasoned taco meat of your choice. A dollop of sour cream could easily complete a one-dish, all-in-one, dinner.
However you serve it up, Pinto Salad will offer a cool, crunchy lunch or dinner and can be put together in minutes. With the protein the beans offer, this super salad is also good on its own, and will make a nice way to keep the kitchen cool on hot summer days.
Enjoy food made fresh!
Pinto Salad
1 head heart of romaine lettuce 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 Haas avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced 3/4 cup whole black olives ½ cup grape tomato halves ½ red onion, peeled and diced ¼ cup salted pumpkin seeds 1 to 2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons cold water ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon chili powder Remove core from heart of romaine. Rinse lettuce and towel dry. Chop into 1-inch sections and separate the sections in a medium serving bowl.
Top lettuce with prepared beans, diced avocado, olives, grape tomato halves, diced red onion, pumpkin seeds, and radish slices.
In a small dish, whisk together lime juice, water, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
Toss salad and add dressing when ready to serve. Makes 4 servings.
Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.
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