Last Updated on September 3, 2016
I’m a salad person – not the kind of salad person that asks for dressing on the side, mind you. As much as I love a fresh, healthy salad, what’s a salad without DRESSING?
My mom is the salad maker extraordinaire. All of my friends that have had the privilege of eating Mom’s salad comment on it with head thrown back and eyes closed. Something like, “OHHHHHHHH – your MOM’s salad!!!”
At about three years old, my daughter actually picked up her empty salad bowl and drank up what remained of the olive oil and vinegar. Right there in front of everyone.
Some have even had the gall to say (including my husband) “Why can’t YOU make salad like this?” And, as if that’s not enough, “I mean I JUST CAN’T GET OVER HOW YOU CAN’T MAKE SALAD LIKE YOUR MOM”.
True story and I’m not bitter.
Well, I can admit defeat. I don’t even try to make Mom’s salad anymore. I have consented to – and actually enjoy – making “other” salads instead. (Mom likes them too.)
BUT – when my mom and step-dad come over for dinner, the answer to “What can I bring?” is always the same.
“SALAD!”
- 2 cups cooked navy beans (see note below)
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
- handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 ripe Haas avocado, diced
- DRESSING:
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Make the dressing by whisking together the lime juice and honey. While whisking the mixture, slowly pour olive oil in a thin stream and continue mixing to emulsify.
- Toss the salad ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- NOTE: To cook navy beans, soak 1½ cups of dried beans in water for 24 hours. Drain beans and place in saucepan. Add water to cover about two inches above the beans. Bring to a boil an then reduce heat to medium-low. You want the beans to be on a low boil. Simmer 2 hours, or until beans are soft. Drain. (At this point, I usually refrigerate the beans to use in salad the next day. One-and-a-half cups of dried beans will probably yield more than 2 cups cooked, but I use the leftover beans to make more salad, use in hummus or add to soup.)
