Cayenne, cumin and spicy-sweet- this salad has got a kick. I made this for lunch one day when I got too lazy to make a salad dressing, and decided to just shake what I had right onto the spinach. I added the juice from a lime (or lemon will work), drizzled on some olive oil- and the spicy salad was born. Who says your spice selection is reserved for hot meals and dinnertime?
With crunchy bell peppers, tangy red onion and satisfying black beans, (FYI, the healthiest bean), this is a mexican-style lunch without the heaviness of sour cream and cheese (although it would be great with a dollop of guac). Play around with the ingredients, but think “burrito bowl”; this lunch would be great with the addition of sweet corn, shredded chicken or rice. Or keep as is. It’s fresh, healthy and spicy, and you can throw it together before you head out the door for work- or the beach, or a roadtrip, or wherever life may find you needing what I consider the most important meal of the day: lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/4 red onion, sliced and soaked in vinegar
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced (I used a combo of red and yellow)
- 1 ounce feta, crumbled (a handful)
- 3 tablespoons chopped jalapenos
- 1 small handful roasted almonds, chopped
- 1 lime (or lemon), juiced
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- cumin
- cayenne
- sea salt
How to:
- Slice up the red onion and soak in vinegar (you can skip this step, but it cuts the bite). In a medium bowl, toss together the spinach with the black beans, bell pepper, feta, jalapenos, almonds and red onion.
- Dress the salad with the lime juice, olive oil and a shake of cayenne + a shake of cumin. Add sea salt to taste, toss again and top with more roasted almonds, feta and jalapeno. Eat immediately, or save for a couple hours (in the fridge). Serves 1.
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