Pinto Bean Salad Recipe with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro

Sometimes I simply must have that fresh tomato flavor in my mouth. When the tomato urge hits me, I don't care whether tomatoes are in season or how much I have to pay for them, if I can find tomatoes that taste good I'll buy them. I know the eat local people won't approve, but the tomatoes you see in this salad were from Costco, and they had that "tomato smell" which lets you know they might be worth eating, even though they're out of season. Even the best store-bought tomatoes can't match that late-summer umami-filled fresh-from-the-garden tomato flavor I get when I'm picking my homegrown tomatoes in August, but these tomatoes tasted pretty good. Of course, if you're in the southern hemisphere where garden tomatoes are in season, the salad will taste even better.

The salad was inspired by one I loved at a party recently where the hosts had just returned from Oaxaca, Mexico, and guests were asked to bring Oaxacan dishes. One couple made a salad with several kinds of beans, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. I didn't get the exact recipe but this is a slightly simpler salad with a lot of the same flavors. I absolutely loved the combination of ingredients here, and the fresh flavors of this salad really helped me make it through another dreary sunless day in Utah.

Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro
(Makes 4 side-dish servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 can pinto beans, rinse and drain very well
4-5 tsp. white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 avocado, diced into pieces 1/2 inch square
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes (cherry tomatoes cut in half would be great too, but I had medium tomatoes which I cut in eighths)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1-2 T olive oil, or a bit more
fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Pour beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well until no more foam appears. Let beans drain well for at least 15 minutes. Then blot beans dry with paper towel, place in plastic bowl, and toss with white balsamic vinegar. Let beans marinate in the vinegar while you prep other ingredients.

Cut avocado into 1/2 inch pieces and place in small bowl. Toss with lime juice. Chop tomatoes, or if using cherry tomatoes, cut in half.

Chop red onion and cilantro. (I like to chop with a chef's knife, but you could use a mini-chopper or food processor for this.) Mix onions and cilantro into marinating beans. Then use a large spoon to gently fold in avocado and tomato. Drizzle olive oil over salad and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt, and gently toss again. Serve immediately, at room temperature.

Variations: I think other varieties of beans would also be tasty in this combination. Tonight I'm making the salad for my dad and stepmother, and I'm using black beans because my dad loves them.


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South Beach Suggestions:
This salad is perfect for any phase of the South Beach Diet. I ate my salad with Greek Salmon Cooked in a Grill Pan, and it was a nice combination. For a larger meal for phase two or three you could add something like Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi.

More Tasty Salads with Tomatoes and Beans:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients)
Tomato and Garbanzo Salad
Garbanzo, Tomato, And Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing
White Beans and Cherry Tomato Salad from Simply Recipes
Shell Bean Salad from What Did You Eat
Warm Butter Bean Salad with Chorizo and Tomatoes from Blue Kitchen
Fresh Fava Bean Salad from Canela & Comino
Calypso Bean Salad from Weekly Dish

White Bean and Tomato Salad from Spicy Andhra
The BEST Bean Salad from Tasting Spoons
Black Bean, Corn, and Tomato Salad from Gluten Free Blog

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