Cucumber and Garbanzo Bean Salad
Source: Gina Mendolo
Ingredients:
- 1 large cucumber, diced into 1/2 inch chunks (I like mine seeded, but with the skin left on.)
- 1.5 cups cooked* or canned** garbanzo beans (If canned, drain and rinse well.)
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1 t dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 t fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 T lemon juice
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (Optional; if omitted, this recipe is dairy-free and vegan).
Directions
- Combine cucumber, beans, onion, herbs, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil until emulsified (Emulsion: a suspension of small droplets of one liquid in a second liquid. In making an emulsion, we can mix two liquids that ordinarily do not mix well, such as lemon juice and olive oil.)
- Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil mixture over the bean mixture and toss to coat.
- Top with feta cheese.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
* 0.5 – 0.75 cups of dried beans will yield 1.5 cups of cooked beans.
** A standard 15 ounce can of beans (of any type: garbanzo, black, pinto, etc.) will equal 1.5 cups.