Cuban Bean Salad

FloridaNative's Note:

Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines and closely resembles that of other Caribbean nations such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Panama of Central America. While various parts of the island were influenced by many different immigrants, the Cuban cuisines developed locally, from the influences and demographics specific to each area. Prep time = cook time. Recipe from www.tasteofcuba.com/courtesy of Kraft Foods and posted for ZWT5.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 8.0 cups

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper , seeded and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion , fine dice
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 ½ cups chopped claussen kosher dill pickles
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed (garbanzo beans)
• 1 stalk celery , fine dice
• ½ red pepper , cut into 2-inch strips
• 2 green onions , sliced
• 1 tomato , chopped

Directions:

1. Mix oil, cilantro. lemon juice, vinegar, cumin, jalapeno pepper and oregano in large bowl until well blended.
2. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly.
3. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
4. Stir gently just before serving.
5. NOTE: Salad may be prepared the day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. SUBSTITUTE: Lime juice may be substituted for lemon juice if desired.

Reviews

[Kumquat the Cat's friend]

This salad had a nice texture, and was very pretty. I added a small jalapeno, but thought it could have used more. I also upped the cumin a bit. Since BF doesn't like cilantro, I substituted parsely and added some coriander (which is just dried cilantro, but for some reason that doesn't bother him). I also reduced the olive oil to a tablespoon or two. It tasted better the next day:) Made for ZWT Chow Hounds.

[JackieOhNo!]

This was pretty easy and fast to put together, given the long list of ingredients. However, I found that is was not quite as flavorful as I would have liked. Maybe it is just a simple matter of adding salt and pepper to taste. I will definitely try this again, though. Made for ZWT5 by a Groovy GastroGnome.

[Studentchef]

For ZWT 5, the Dining Daredevils. This is so good. Despite the long list of ingredients, it was actually quick to make. I love the mix of everything in it, just wonderful.