We all know how to make bean salad by now -- TT has become something of a legend with his versions of it. I love a little bean salad -- little being the key word here. I like a variety of beans in my salad, with the end result being that I usually end up using at least 4 cans of beans of various varieties. And that is just too much bean salad. I get tired of it before I am half way through with the batch. But a bean salad without both green and wax beans just doesn't work for me.
Recently I found a couple of products that produce a lower volume of the end product, yet still provide the variety of beans that I prefer with this dish. The organic chili beans have almost always been part of my recipe, but I just discovered that Del Monte makes a mixed green and wax bean option. So now I can make a multi-bean salad with just two cans of beans.
I still rinse all the beans -- I don't want the chili part of the chili beans, and besides the liquid is gooey and gross. I rinse the green/wax beans because I read somewhere that rinsing reduces the sodium content of canned vegetables. With the reduced volume I used 1/8 cup of olive oil, 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/8 cup of balsalmic vinegar. I added about a half tablespoon of Splenda (or sugar), 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned pepper and a tablespoon or so of parsley. I added celery and onion this time, because I like them and had them on hand. Chill.
Recently I found a couple of products that produce a lower volume of the end product, yet still provide the variety of beans that I prefer with this dish. The organic chili beans have almost always been part of my recipe, but I just discovered that Del Monte makes a mixed green and wax bean option. So now I can make a multi-bean salad with just two cans of beans.
I still rinse all the beans -- I don't want the chili part of the chili beans, and besides the liquid is gooey and gross. I rinse the green/wax beans because I read somewhere that rinsing reduces the sodium content of canned vegetables. With the reduced volume I used 1/8 cup of olive oil, 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/8 cup of balsalmic vinegar. I added about a half tablespoon of Splenda (or sugar), 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned pepper and a tablespoon or so of parsley. I added celery and onion this time, because I like them and had them on hand. Chill.
